The Ticking Time Bomb
by HepburnHigh
Summary: Lavender loved Seamus with every bone in her body but after the Battle at Hogwarts she played dead and disappeared from him and the rest of the Wizarding World. While everyone mourned, she lived a life full of secret, heartache, and pain. She thought she had everything planned out, but years later her cover is blown and the reason for her disappearance comes to light. M for smut.
1. The Abandoned Classroom

**Hello everyone and welcome to my new story! This is going to be a fic about Lavender and Seamus and will be from Lavender's point of view. I don't want to explain too much because I was this story to unravel itself for all of you…but it is starting off with a bang [literally ;)]! It will be rated M for my usual reasons: smut, language, violence, and topics. I hope you all enjoy and NEVER be afraid to tell me what you think! With that being said…welcome to my new story! Read on!**

2 months before the Battle at Hogwarts

Lavender Brown couldn't help but let out a girly squeal as her boyfriend excitedly led her through the dark and deserted halls of the Hogwarts castle. It was in the dead of the night, possibly 1 in the morning, and the students in the castle were tucked away in their beds, unaware of the couple wandering the corridors. The turned a corner and reached their normal late night oasis. Seamus Finnegan turned the knob and opened the door that led to the abandoned fourth corridor classroom. The room had become the couple's safe haven in recent months. Life at Hogwarts was becoming more miserable by the week, with Snape as Headmaster and the Carrows causing pain at every given chance. The only thing keeping both the seventh years at the castle was being in the famed Dumbledore's Army. The thrill of resisting Voldemort's henchmen was motivation enough to stay and stick out the ridiculous punishments and tiring workload.

Seamus pulled his girlfriend into the room and shut the door behind them before locking it. The room was practically empty except for some miscellaneous furniture items pushed up against the walls or stacked upon each other. There was a large wardrobe in one corner that looked out of place, simply because it did not have a fine layer of dust on it. Seamus speed walked to the old cabinet and thrust the doors open. Lavender was still giggling behind him, highly amused at his enthusiasm at what they were about to do. They two had been dating for quite some time now, since the middle of fall term, and like a lot of teen-age couples now a days, were sexually active. Lavender was really open about her sexual past and her body with Seamus. She had flat out told him when he asked that she did indeed lose her virginity to Ron Weasley last year when they were dating. Seamus had been insecure around her for a little, considering that he was still a virgin, but that quickly changed after they started shagging. He was, in no ways, shy around her anymore.

Seamus was now taking out their stashed throw pillows and comforter. They were both living in the Room of Requirement, to be with the rest of the Army, and found the empty classroom during a watch session. The Army took turns checking out the areas around the Room and they had simply wandered for too long. After realizing how perfect the room was for their own…secrets…they quickly inhabited it. They brought in pillows and a couple throws to make it more comfortable and personal to them. Seamus gathered the pillows together to form a nest of sorts and laid the blankets on over top. He walked over to the witch and grabbed her hand again.

"My lady."

Lavender rolled her eyes at his attempt to be suave.

"You are such a…cheese ball."

He frowned a little.

"I am?"

She took a step closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with his shaggy brown hair. He instinctively circled his own arms around her hips.

"A little bit. But I like it."

She brought her lips to meet his and pulled herself flush against his body. In a matter of moments they had deepened the kiss and were exploring each other's mouth with their tongues. Lavender loved the way her body felt when she was kissing Seamus. It was as if heated needles were lightly pricking her. Her entire being was being softly energized at the perfect amount. She just felt so…alive. Never missing a beat, and keeping their lips locked in place, the two Gryffindors made their way to the makeshift bed area and settled into the plush pillows that they were so use to by now. They kicked off their shoes and Seamus's tie was the first clothing item to go. Seamus hovered over Lavender, his hands wandering the length of her torso, before beginning to unbutton her white collared shirt. As soon as the last button was undone, revealing her peach colored lace bra, he worked his way down to her neck to suckle on the sweet spot where her neck met her shoulder. Lavender let out a low mew and quickly discarded her shirt. She tugged at Seamus' shirt, begging him to take it off, as he worked his way towards the valley of her no heaving breasts. She let out her request through airy breaths.

"Shirt…off…now…Seamus…"

He broke away from her chest for a split second to fulfill her wish, whipping off his shirt, but quickly latched back on to the side of her left breast as soon as it was off. Lavender reached around and unhooked her bra; not wanting to wait until he did it, to reveal her large assets that Seamus always had way too much fun with. He kept working his way down her body with his mouth; licking and sucking at certain pleasure points here and there, and finally reached the waistband of her red and gold plaid skirt. He unzipped the side zipper tantalizingly slow, making Lavender moan with impatience. She loved being intimate with Seamus, it was honestly the best thing she had ever experienced, but she hated how much he loved to tease her. He finally pulled her skirt down over her thighs and knees until it was in the same pile as her button up and bra. He made quick work on her knickers as well, and soon Lavender was completely exposed before him, her skin hot and tingling from the intimacy. Seamus worked his way back up her body until he was attached to her lips again, his fingers, on the other hand, gently grazing over her womanhood. Lavender bucked her hips at his touch, giving him the hint to get on with it. He inserted one finger into her center, causing the witch to let out a small shriek into his mouth. He started pumping in and out, Lavender starting to rock her hips to match his rhythm, before adding another digit into her pulsing center.

Lavender's vision became cloudy as the pleasure started to build up inside her. Seamus knew her so well that he could pin point all her weak spots and places that really got her blood boiling. He knew exactly how to please her and that's what made their physical moments so powerful. She was almost 100 percent certain that no one could please her like Seamus could. Her pleasure suddenly reached a new high as her orgasm rocketed through her unannounced. She arched her back into her boyfriend's chest and let out a sensual scream as her climax hit her like a tsunami.

"OH MY GOD!"

Seamus smirked as he looked down at his panting girlfriend and started taking off his pants while she caught her breath. He was soon naked along with her, and it was obvious that pleasing Lavender into her last orgasm was enough to get him excited and ready to go. He hovered over her again and gently parted her legs to expose her to him. He planted his hands on either side of her head and she reached up to grip onto his shoulder. Seamus lowered himself into her, taking his hardened length all the way to her G spot. A guttural groan escaped from the back of his throat at the feeling of being surrounded by her tight warmth. He started to slowly pulse back and forth, almost coming all the way out of her every time he brought his manhood back. Again Lavender started to rock her hips to match his tempo and Seamus picked up the pace. They worked together like a match made in heaven and Lavender could feel her body building up to her second orgasm. Seamus was now thrusting into her with such enthusiasm that the witch could feel him hitting her G spot with every drive. Her body started to tingle again as her climax came dangerous close to exploding.

"Seamus I…I gonna-"

"…me too-"

"WOAH!"

Both students let out a gasp as they hit their climaxes at the same time, coming in unison with Seamus releasing his load into Lavender's center. After taking a couple breaths, he slowly pulled out of her and rolled over onto the pillows next to her. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm his racing heart, and Lavender sneaked a glance at him while he wasn't paying attention.

He was really a beautiful human being. Over the years his jaw had chiseled out nicely and he had that perfect amount of scruff. His arms were broad and strong, mostly from trying to keep up with Dean Thomas's crazy workouts, and it did his body wonderful justice. His dark brown hair had grown out in the past couple months, giving it a delightfully shaggy appearance. Lavender found herself smiling because she knew that she was absolutely head over heels in love with the man lying next to her. She rolled over and nestled into his side as he wrapped his arm around her. He used his other arm to grab the comforter and pull it over the two of them. Lavender rested her head on his shoulder and lightly kissed his peck.

"I love you Seamus."

He beamed to himself.

"I love you too."

**Boom. Start to the fic! Can't wait to see where this one goes! Hope you loved it!**


	2. Headaches and Theories

One week before the Battle at Hogwarts

"Something's different."

"With what?"

Lavender and Seamus were taking their turn watching the Gryffindor Common Room and comforting the younger students that weren't allowed in the Army. The Army only wanted students that were old enough to fight but the little ones were constantly scared now that the older students in their houses were living in the Room of Requirement instead of the house corridors and towers. Therefore, each night, two members of each house spent the night on the couches in their respective Common Room to give the students a sense of peace. The only house that didn't have that comfort was the Slytherins. That happened for two reasons. One, there was only one Slytherin in the entire Army and two, because that lone Slytherin was Emolly Goldster, who had been abused and raped by Blaine Zabini, who still had loyal friends in his house despite him now being at Azkaban, it was safer for her to stay in the Room. It was late at night, most of the kids had gone up to bed, but a few stragglers were still doing their homework at a table across the room. The couple keeping watch was talking in hushed whispers. Lavender had a concerned tone to her voice but Seamus seemed careless, reading a Quidditch magazine.

"The castle. School. The teachers. Something big is coming our way; I can feel it."

"Like what Lavender? The war?"

Seamus scoffed, obviously not feeling the same strange sensation that she was. It sounded ridiculous, but she could feel it in her _bones._ She could feel that something bad was about to happen. Snape had become all the sudden present at almost every meal, which in itself was a rarity. On top of that, the Carrows have been uncannily happy lately. Normally they were happy during detentions because it involved pain and punishment, but they were _smiling_ all the time now. It was creepy as shit. Lavender lowered her voice even further to prevent herself from freaking out one of the second years still in the room.

"What if the war hits here? What if Hogwarts is attacked?"

Seamus set down his magazine, listening for the first time. He looked over his girlfriend's shoulder to make sure the other students weren't paying attention. They weren't.

"Don't say that. You're freaking yourself out."

"Don't tell me that you haven't thought of that possibility because it is totally plausible and-"

"Of course I've thought of that. I think about it all the time. Voldemort's got his right hand man and two of his most loyal cronies here. Of course I've thought about it. But what would be want with a bunch of kids, Lav?"

"Harry's a kid and we all know how badly he wants him dead-"

"But Harry's the bloody Chosen One, the only one that can defeat him. Of course he wants Harry. But us? We're ordinary. We're nothing special."

"No, we're his future. I mean, Hell, that's why the Carrows are here now. They are trying to get us to think a certain way so that we'll be loyal to him if he wins this whole thing."

Seamus sat there for a moment, completely silent. She had a point. He picked up his magazine as one of the second years came over to the couple. They quickly acted as if they had been discussing nothing more than the day's homework load.

"And Slughorn's just gone barmy with the amount of homework he gave us-"

"S-Seamus?"

The seventh year looked over the top of his magazine to see Lucas Beady. He was a skittish boy who had a routine every night before bed. The routine involved an Army member to take him to bed and check his wardrobe for Bogarts.

"Ready for bed Lucas?"

"Y-yes."

"Alright, I'll walk you up." He set his magazine down and turned to his girlfriend. "Be right back."

"Okay."

Lavender spread out on the couch while Seamus took the second year up to his dorm. No matter how many times people called her crazy for thinking something bad was going to happen, she couldn't help but feel it. She suddenly felt a headache advancing into the front of her head and reached into her bag for a potion that Madame Pomfrey had given her. She uncorked the vile and took a swing, swallowing the nasty liquid, just as her boyfriend came back. He frowned at the sight of her taking the medicine.

"Another headache?"

"Yeah. I can feel it coming on."

He came and sat down on the end of the couch, letting Lavender rest her head on his lap.

"When are seeing Madame Pomfrey again?"

"In two days."

"Do you think she'll be able to stop them this time."

Lavender closed her eyes. "God I hope so. Or at least make them so they don't happen on a daily basis."

Seamus could see the fatigue hitting her hard. Once her eyes were closed, she was out like a light. He bent over and kissed her tenderly on her forehead.

"Go to sleep, okay? I can do the watch by myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too."

He bent down again but this time kissed her on her lips. He took a throw blanket that was draped across the back of the couch and covered her with it. Before long, she was fast asleep and transported into a world of dreams and fantasies. Seamus picked up his magazine again and turned the page the read the next article. He quickly closed it when he saw it was about the murder of a Puddlemore United player who refused to join Voldemort and his forces. Maybe the war was going to hit them soon after all.

o.O.o

"Will this make my headaches go away completely?"

"Possibly. It's a new potion that Professor Slughorn and I have worked on together. It's a test run…don't worry; there won't be any drastic side effects."

Madame Pomfrey handed Lavender the glass vile full to the brim with an aqua colored liquid. She accepted it and stowed it away in her bag.

"Thank you so much."

"No problem dearie. And remember, you have that consultation with St. Mungo's next Sunday."

"Right. Thanks for the reminder. And the only other person who knows about this is McGonagall, right?"

"Yes Ms. Brown. It's just you, me, and Professor McGonagall. She'll be the one taking you to St. Mungo's next week."

"Okay. Thanks again!"

"Of course."

The seventh year gave a faint smile before leaving the medical wing and heading towards the Great Hall.

**Tell me what you think!**


	3. Before the Battle at Hogwarts

**Hello! So I understand that this story is progressing rapidly. That is because the majority is going to take place outside of Hogwarts, after the battle. So…yeah. Read and review lovelies! And, also, I want this story to get as many readers/reviews as my Draco/Ginny fic "Behind Closed Doors" so spread the word! Love you all!**

Harry's Arrival

The portrait creaked open, catching everyone's attention. When Arianna came to fetch Neville it sounded urgent and everyone wanted to know why he had to travel through to the other side off schedule. Lavender craned her neck to look upward as Neville came into view.

"Hey you lot! Guess who's here?"

He stepped aside and started coming down the stone steps when the Golden Trio suddenly filled up the portrait hole. They there were, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter, looking exhausted, underfed, and beat up. Everyone started clapping and cheering at their return to the school. Obviously they saw it as a sign of hope. Lavender, on the other hand, felt her stomach drop into her feet. Harry was here. Voldemort wanted Harry. Voldemort would come to the school to get Harry. Voldemort would bring every single Death Eater available to make sure Harry didn't get away this time. Her gut feeling about something bad happening at the school was quickly becoming a reality. Harry and the others came down and were instantly swarmed with hugs and handshakes. Lavender stayed rooted to her spot on the floor as if her feet had suddenly become cinderblocks. Harry started rambling on about something he needed to find, he mentioned Ravenclaw a lot, but Lavender wasn't listening. All she could think about was the effects of having the Chosen One here. What if fighting broke out? It probably would. Would she be able to defend herself? Was she talented enough to? How many Death Eaters would Voldemort bring with him? Probably thousands. How could students stand up to thousands of bloody thirsty, evil, talented-

"Harry!"

Her thought was interrupted as Ginny came flying through the doors and into Harry's arms. They had a short embrace before she pulled away and said the worst news possible.

"Harry, Snape knows you're here. He heard you were in Hogsmeade. He's just called all the students down to the Great Hall."

There was a moment of silence to comprehend the red head's words before panic broke out. Everyone in the Army went rushing to their cots to put on their cloaks and grab their wands. They were filling out of the Room of Requirement in pairs. Lavender moved slowly to her bed, having the sudden urge to throw up her dinner. Seamus came up behind her and put a gentle hand on her back.

"Lav-"

"I knew this would happen!"

He retracted his hand at her sudden outburst. She looked up at him and, out of nowhere, started crying.

"I knew this would happen! I told you he was going to come here! This is war! He's not going to let Harry escape this time! He's going to bring as many Death Eaters as he can!"

"Shhhh. It's okay; we're going to get through this. We'll-"

"We'll fight! We have to! We're in the Army! We'll have to fight thousands Seamus! What if I can't do it?! What if I'm too weak or not talented enough?! What if I don't make it out alive and the-"

"STOP! Lavender stop saying that right now!"

Now the wizard had tears in his eyes as well. He reached out for his girlfriend and brought her into his chest, holding her tight against his body. She buried her head into his shirt as he tightened his grip around her.

"You ARE going to make it through this. You are a bloody talented witch and don't you dare doubt your abilities. If you think it's too much you hide, okay? You hide in the tiniest nook you can find and you get away from the fighting, understand?"

She shook her head against his chest.

"Good. C'mon now. Lift your head up." She did as she was told and right then Seamus planted his lips on her's in a searing kiss. Lavender put everything she had into it because she had no idea when the next kiss was going to be. She wanted him to know that she loved him. She always would. They reluctantly pulled away as the people inside the Room began to really dwindle.

"We've got to go."

And with that they grabbed their wands and ran for the Great Hall.

o.O.o

It was the worst thing really, to have Voldemort inside your head, and Lavender was happy it was over. But that did nothing but bring her back to the daunting reality that was laid ahead of her. Voldemort was here with his followers and they were ready to fight. Chaos set in as students went to certain posts throughout the school. The Army had had their own plan on where to go for weeks and now it was, unfortunately, being set into motion. She watched as Seamus ran towards the Gryffindor Tower with Parvati Patil, Ginny Weasley, and Katie Bell. They were to make sure no Death Eaters came in to the Tower at all, whether through the portrait or windows, because they were stowing the younger ones that couldn't fight or too scared in the dorms. Lavender found Padma Patil and Susan Bones and headed to one of the side doors that led into the castle from the courtyard. The three seventh years reached their post just as the stone statues were falling from the ceiling above and marching to the bridge. They stood their, wands at the ready, with the eerie quietness surrounding them like a suffocating fog. They tried to stay calm, but every time one of them talked, the nerves in their tone became palpable.

"Did…did you say good bye to Seamus, Lavender?"

She felt a tear streak her cheek. "Y-yep. Told him I loved him too."

Another bit of silence. Susan broke the tension this time.

"I heard Professor McGonagall talking to Madame Pomfrey. She told her to alert St. Mungos; tell them to be prepared."

All three witches gulped. Hopefully it wouldn't be filled with their fellow friends, family, and classmates.

Suddenly, from up above, there was a loud boom, as loud as a crack of thunder, and the protective shield above them gave away to the force of the hex that Voldemort had just sent. Lavender quickly turned to the two girls and brought them in for a quick group hug.

"I love you two ladies. It's been such an honor and gift to go to school with you guys and have you as friends."

Susan let out a strained sob. "I love you guys too."

Then Padma. "Me too."

They pulled away and whipped their tears. Lavender gave a meek smile.

"Lets fight our hearts okay, okay?"

"Okay."

"Definitely."

"And we'll have each other's backs?"

"Of course."

"Without a doubt."

They got back into ready position as the shield fell and the sounds of battle cries in the distance filled the air.

"For Dumbledore's Army!"


	4. Cold Hands and Burning Pain

**Like I said last update…these first couple chapters have to move quickly since the majority of my story takes place AFTER Hogwarts. So my last Hogwarts update. Enjoy!**

It was the most chaotic and terrible thing that Lavender had ever seen in her life. She and the other seventh year witches watching the door had to stay at their post and it was absolutely horrifying to see the Death Eaters make their way on to the courtyard. People were falling to the cobblestone ground every second; whether the people falling were Death Eaters or fellow classmates, Lavender couldn't tell. She just knew that people were dying at the hands of other people and it made her sick to her stomach. She looked over to sneak a glance at the two other ladies with her. Both Padma and Susan looked determined and ready to stand their ground. She looked back to the battle as it came closer and closer to the castle doors. Any moment now the Death Eaters would be firing the same slaying hexes at the three of them. The three of them, who were merely teenagers…students. And then it happened. The first curse came flying at Padma who quickly deflected it and fired back at her attacker.

"Stupefy!"

Her hex shot out of her wand with uncanny force and hit the Death Eater square in the chest. He went flying backwards, knocked unconscious, and hit a pillar before crumpling to the ground.

"Good job Padma!"

"LAVENDER TO YOUR RIGHT!"

The Gryffindor swiveled her head to see a female Death Eater sprinting at her.

"Avada K-"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Lavender was too quick and the woman's wand flew into Lavender's hand. She quickly snapped the rod in two and threw it behind her shoulder before finishing her off.

"Stupefy!"

She was out cold before she realized that a teenager had kicked her ass.

The three witches soon proved to be an unbreakable force. They were picking off Death Eaters left, right, and center, without actually murdering. They were knocking them unconscious, depriving them of their wands, sending them over the hill, or throwing them back into the middle of the battle. All they knew was that behind them, the door they were guarding, would lead the enemy into the Hall that led towards the Hufflepuff Common Room and that simply could not happen. They fought with everything they had and they left it all on the battlefield. Every once in a while they would see a classmate come streaking by (at least they were alive) or a professor. At one point, Lavender watched in awe as her Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick, single handedly took down 5 Death Eaters, all of them being feet taller than his short Goblin frame. The hardest thing for Lavender was trying to keep her stamina up. She was fired up and constantly aware of her surroundings because of the heightened situation that she was in, but performing magic took energy out of you. When a witch or wizard casts a spell, the magical powers inside of their being are released. After your spell had left your body and tip of your wand, your body quickly corrects itself and balances out the energy again. But in the situation that she was in, where she was literally firing off spells one after the other, her body wasn't neutralizing the magical energy in her body as efficiently because she was performing magic too quickly and frequently. She could feel herself slowly draining. She looked over at Padma and Susan. Both of them seemed to be doing great. Susan saw her looking at her as she blew an oncoming Snatcher back.

"You alright Lav?"

"Yeah. My energy is waning."

"Mine too."

"LADIES!"

A new wave of Death Eaters was suddenly approaching them at a quick speed. There were a lot more this time and Lavender inwardly groaned as she saw the sight before her. How many Death Eaters DID Voldemort bring? She took a deep breath and started firing away. She had to stay strong. She was fighting for her life after all! The three of them seemed to be doing well at keeping the dark cloaked wizards and witches at bay but then, out of nowhere, a jet of green light came soaring at the three Army members.

It was like time had slowed down and everything around Lavender froze. She watched as the green light went whizzing over everyone's heads and towards them. Her throat went dry and she couldn't scream, couldn't let out any noise at all. Her stomach dropped and her ears started ringing as she watched the Killing Curse hit Susan in the face. The Hufflepuff's entire body went white and her eyes unfocused as she crumpled to the ground, lifeless and still as slab of granite. Before even thinking, the Gryffindor released a shield charm so powerful, everyone within a twenty-foot radius was blown backward. She looked down to see Padma already hoisting Susan's limp body into her arms to take her to the safe station that was set up inside. Lavender gave her cover and watched as she disappeared into the castle with tears streaming down her face like rivers. Lavender lifted her head to see who had fired the spell that took her friend's life. She saw him grinning wickedly at her with his bloodied teeth gleaming in the moonlight, Fenrir Greyback. Feeling a surge of energy, a surge of power, a surge of…bloodlust, she left her post and went bounding at him with a new found determination. Every cell in her body was screaming at her to cause him pain, make him hurt for what he had just done.

"YOU BASTARD! STUPEFY!"

He blocked it.

"Come at me little girl! I love the young ones! They taste SO delicious!"

"EXPELLIARMUS! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS! LEVICORPUS!"

He was blocking spell after spell but she wasn't giving up that easily. She wanted revenge. She wanted him DEAD! She started feeling desperate and wanted to feel the power of hurting the beast taunting her.

"CRUCIO!"

She hit him hard in the chest but she couldn't hold her concentration and the Unforgivable Curse didn't affect him as much as she wanted to. That's when she saw Greyback take her moment of slight defeat and attack. He reared his wand back and started pelting her with powerful hexes and curses. She suddenly went into defensive mode and was doing her best to block them all, but he knew dark magic that she could not defend herself against. What happened next was a blur to Lavender. One moment she was blocking a spell, and the next she was knocked back onto her back with her wand yards away from her hand. She tried to get up but it was too late. Greyback pounced on her and the sheer weight of him was too much for her. She suddenly felt a sharp pain hit her neck like a lightening bolt. She screamed as Greyback bit her, intoxicating her blood. A white hot pain coursed through her entire being and it was easily the most painful thing that she would ever experience. It felt like someone was murderously stabbing her with a thousand scolding daggers. Her vision soon became blurred and she was about to slip into unconsciousness when the weight was lifted off of her. She lifted her head to see the blurred figure of Hermione Granger running towards her. Her fellow Gryffindor kneeled down and put pressure on her neck.

"LAVENDER?! BREATHE! STAY WITH ME NOW!"

"Her…Hermione…"

"THAT'S IT! KEEP TALKING! STAY WITH ME LAVENDER! YOU ARE GOING TO BE OKAY! YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS! YOU ARE STRONG!"

Lavender looked on as Hermione yelled to a close by student.

"FETCH MADAME POMFREY! TELL HER IT'S URGENT! IT'S A WEREWOLF BITE!"

The kid sprinted off and Hermione turned back to the struggling witch lying in front of her. Lavender reached for Hermione's hand and used all the energy she had left to muster out a sentence.

"Hermione…"

"Yes?! Keep talking!"

"Tell Seamus…I love him…I always have…"

"NO! No Lavender, YOU'RE GOING TO TELL HIM THAT! You're going to live and you're going to tell him that! You're going to make it through!"

Suddenly the boy came rushing back with a composed Madame Pomfrey at his heels. The Healer whipped her wand out and pointed it at Lavender's body. The injured witch was suddenly floating into the air and she could hear her ex-boyfriend, Ron Weasley, screaming from somewhere near by.

"She's in good hands now Hermione! THE SNAKE! We have to go!"

Hermione kissed Lavender's hand and ran off after her two best friends. Madame Pomfrey kept Lavender right next to her as they made their way into the safety of the castle. Once inside, the elder witch headed straight to the medical wing with Lavender hovering next to her. She was fighting the blackness that was threatening to overcome her. Once they reached the medical wing, which was full of people and Healers from St. Mungo's, Madame Pomfrey led the witch to a concealed cot. She set Lavender down and called for a Healer.

"HEALER SMOKE!"

A young woman came running over.

"Yes Madame Pomfrey?"

"She's been bitten by a werewolf. I need the Wolfsbane potion NOW."

The witch hurried off and appeared seconds later with a foul smelling liquid. She closed the curtains behind her and Madame Pomfrey talked in a low voice while simultaneously pouring the potion into a cup.

"Fenrir?"

"Y-yes…"

She tipped the cup back and forced the liquid down Lavender's throat.

"It's not a full moon. The effects won't be as bad. You should be alright."

Lavender swallowed hoarsely. The Healer continued.

"We need to get you to St. Mungo's right away. You need extensive care due to your condition."

"Don't tell Seamus where I am." She felt her eyes begin to tear up.

"What?!"

"Don't tell him. Don't tell him where I am. Don't tell him anything. You, me, and Professor McGonagall. You promised!"

"But dear…"

"YOU PROMISED. He can't know anything."

It took all her strength to lift her head and look Madame Pomfrey in the eye. The Healer sighed.

"I did promise…and I'll keep it. I won't tell him anything."

"Or anyone else. Not even my family. PLEASE."

"Not even your family. Now, we need to get you to St. Mungo's."

But Lavender had already blacked out before even getting there.


	5. The Nonexistent Patient

Lavender slowly opened her eyes but quickly shut them at the bright light that was over her. As she came back to reality, having been unconscious for an unknown amount of time, she began to realize where she was. She could hear the steady hum of the light, the murmurs of people conversing close to her, and the frantic writing of quill on parchment. She slowly tried to open her eyes again and was able to blink a couple of times but groaned as the light hit her sensitive pupils again. She tried to push herself up on her elbows but a searing pain rocketed through her and a Healer was quickly at her side.

"Please don't move Ms. Brown. Your injuries are too severe."

She moaned and finally opened her eyes all the way. She was lying in a cot at St. Mungo's. There were two Healers next to her, both younger woman who looked like they were in their late twenties at most. They both had dark circles under their eyes, they must have been up all day and night due to the battle and…THE BATTLE! Lavender had no idea who won, if it was even still going on, and who had died. Were other students or professors at St. Mungo's as well? She had to know.

"Hogwarts…the battle…who…"

"Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord near an hour ago."

Lavender felt tears of joy well up in her eyes. She couldn't believe it. Voldemort's dead. He won't be able to terrorize this world anymore. There was going to be peace. No more fighting, no more disappearances, no more murders. People were finally going to be able to sleep at night because they weren't going to be worrying about being kidnapped or murdered in the middle of the night. People weren't going to worry about walking to the store anymore. They were safe. They had won. The right side had one. She felt an unbeatable rush of joy course through her. The good guys won! THEY FUCKING WON! She whipped away her tears with a big smile on her face. Their win surely came at a cost, however. One of the Healers left the room and shut the door as the other Healer took a step closer to her.

"Miss-"

"Linden."

"Miss Linden, are there other students here? Students at Hogwarts? Any other terrible injuries? Did any other students die? Wouldn't their bodies be sent here for recording purposes?"

The Healer pursed her lips together.

"Yes. They would."

"Please tell me. Please. I want to know. I have to know…"

She felt guilt come over her. If she hadn't been so stupid, if she had kept her guard and not ran after Greyback, she would have stayed at her post and continued to fight. She could have helped people, protected people, but she let her emotions get the best of her.

"Ms. Brown I-"

"Lavender. Please tell me."

The Healer sighed and took a seat. She reached for a clipboard with a thick stack of parchments clipped to it. She flipped through until she found the page she was looking for. She cleared her throat.

"Deceased students of Hogwarts and minors. Susan Bones-" Lavender swallowed hard. "Colin Creevey. Fred Weasley. Gregory Goyle. Blaise Zabini. Theo Nott. Emolly Goldster. Romilda Vane-"

"Romilda died!?"

"Yes. Killing Curse."

Lavender's tears quickly turned from tears of joy to tears of sorrow. She had become so close to the Gryffindor in the past year. And Fred Weasley?! Lavender had always thought of the twins as indestructible. She wondered how Ron was and how he was dealing. She couldn't imagine loosing a brother or a loved one. A loved one…

"Seamus Finnegan isn't on there, is he?"

"Nope. We haven't had a Seamus come in all day."

She exhaled. Okay. That was good news, right? Seamus wasn't dead or injured. He made it through.

"Any members of the Order deceased?"

The Auror flipped through her stack again until she landed on a different page.

"Yes. Remus Lupin. Nymphadora Tonks Lupin. Severus Snape. Elizabeth Song."

"Aubrielle and Nielah's mum?!"

"Yes, I believe that's what her daughters' names are. Their father was a Death Eater and died as well."

Lavender hung her head. She knew the Song girls well and loved both of them. They were both bloody brilliant witches and amazing girls. And now they were orphans. She shook her head to show her disapproval but felt the pain in her neck again. She reached to hold her head but the Healer quickly grabbed her hand and stopped her from doing so.

"Don't touch your neck! Your injuries are very serious and they can not be contaminated or touched too much."

Lavender put her hand down. She had been so concerned about everyone else's problems that she forgot about her own.

"What are my injuries, exactly?"

"You were bit by Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf. Thankfully it was not during a full moon so the effects weren't as severe. We were also able to stop some of the more serious effects from setting in because of Madame Pomfrey's quick action. Ultimately, however, you did get bit so you are now a partial werewolf."

Lavender felt herself begin to cry. This time, she didn't wipe the tears away.

"You'll have the full transformation every full moon but your effects and transformations will not as painful as a full breed werewolf. You will need to take the Wolfsbane potion every morning and night during the week leading up to the full moon. There are dozens of programs and therapies specifically for people that have been bitten and can give you financial aid towards buying the potion."

"Ms. Brown…"

"Lavender."

"Lavender…did you know that you were…with child?"

Lavender swallowed hard but shook her head yes. She had known for a while but she had been keeping it a secret from everyone except for Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall.

"Your unborn child will be a werewolf as well. While the bite was no severe enough to transform you completely, it DID reach the fetus inside you. They will be born with the werewolf blood already inside of them."

Lavender's entire body went numb as the force of the words weighed on her chest. Her child, the creation of her love with Seamus, was going to be forever scared and tortured because of her careless mistake. It was all her fault. Everything was her fault. How could she possibly face her family and friends after this? She was never going to be the same and they were never going to love her the same either. Who would love a werewolf? She would put everyone that she loved in danger. She would become a burden, a hassle. She couldn't face them, she just couldn't.

"Does anyone know about this? Where I'm at?"

"Only Madame Pomfrey and Minerva McGonagall. Madame Pomfrey told me you made her promise to keep this a secret as well as your location. If you want I can notify your family and-"

"NO!"

"No?"

"No. Please. No one can know I was here. I can't face them and I can't go back to the life that I had."

"But Lavender-"

"I'm of age where I can make my own life choices. Delete my files. I was never here. I'll leave as soon as possible but you can not tell anybody that I was here. I was never a patient. I never existed to you. You have no idea who I am."

"Lavender what are you saying exactly?"

"I'm saying that I'm going to drop off the face of the wizarding world. I'm going to disappear, not trouble anyone. And you can NOT tell."

The Healer looked at the young witch with wide eyes. This girl was asking her to forget out her existence. She was going to disappear from everyone that she loved and cared about and by the sound of it, she wasn't going to change her mind.

"Okay…okay. You can leave in the middle of the night tonight. I'll cover for you. Your files will be magically destroyed. You were never here."

"Thank you."

The Healer stood up and went to the door but turned around before opening it.

"What should I tell Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall?"

"Tell them I was lost in the battle. No one knows of my location or fate. They'll understand."

The Healer nodded her head and exited the room, leaving the seventh year to lie in her bed and cry until her tear ducts were dry and exhaustion swept over her once again.


	6. Back at Hogwarts for One Last Time

Lavender followed Healer Linden's advice and snuck out of St. Mungo's at around 3 in the morning. The Healer helped her by keeping watch, and she was able to venture out of the building without anyone noticing. Healer Linden had contacted Professor McGonagall earlier that night and Lavender was to meet up her first. After all, someone had to know what was going on and where she was so they didn't send out a search party after her. She walked the streets of London, holding her jacket close around her. She stepped into an alley and immediately saw the familiar looking cat, purring on a step of a fire escape.

"Hello professor."

The cat nodded courtly, looked around for any unwanted watchers, and quickly transformed into the elder witch. She straightened herself up and Lavender could see the wear that the battle had had on her old transfiguration teacher. She had dark circles under her eyes and it was very apparent that she had not slept since Harry's victory. She grabbed Lavender's hand and grasped it tightly.

"Hogwarts first?"

"Yes."

Lavender closed her eyes, hating the feeling that Apparation left in her body, and was soon lurching through space. It was as if her internal organs had suddenly shrank to a fifth of their normal size. The tightening sensation soon ended, however, as they landed hard on the long stone path that led to the famous castle. Lavender rushed over to some near by bushes and vomited the contents of her stomach. Professor McGonagall stayed where she was and let the witch finish before saying anything else.

"Only a handful of students are still at the school. As soon as the battle ended, and parents understood what had happened, they rushed to talk them home…or collect their bodies."

Lavender flinched.

"The Gryffindor Tower was hit hard, considering Death Eaters figured Harry would be hiding in the tower of his house, but the girls' dorms were, for the most part, unharmed. I will keep watch while you collect your things."

"Thank you professor. This really means a lot to me to know that someone is backing me up on my-"

"Oh I am not backing you up Ms. Brown."

They started walking up towards the school while the professor continued to talk.

"I do agree with what you are doing by any means. I think you are being selfish, quite frankly. But since you are of age and able to make these decisions on your own, I will help you. Just know that kind of strain that you are putting on me. Especially when your friends and family start to ask questions."

"I know Professor; I'm sorry but I feel that this is what's best for the baby since it will be a were-"

"What's honestly best for your unborn child is to be raised by both parents and under medical attention and watch. You are going to be raising a werewolf, Ms. Brown, while you will also be suffering from the same fate. It is going to be harder than you could ever imagined."

Lavender hung her head. She knew it was going to be hard, but she simply could not face her friends or family. She was the reason that her baby was going to be different. She was reason that her child would grow up an outcast. She couldn't face that criticism from the people that she loved. They had reached the castle doors and Lavender's jaw dropped. She barely recognized the castle. There was debris everywhere. Chunks taken out of the walls and portraits smashed on the ground. There was scorch marks here and there, ripped pieces of fabric, and armor from statues strung about. It was hard to navigate through all the wreckage to reach the stairs. Finally, and slowly, they made their way up to Gryffindor Tower. The portrait of the Fat Lady was completely destroyed and hung limply on one hinge. Minerva carefully pulled it back and stepped into the Common Room. After letting Lavender know that there were no students in sight, the seventh year stepped inside her once welcoming Common Room and gasped. It was absolutely horrific. The fireplace was completely caved in and the banners and curtains were ripped to shreds. The desk and chairs were all broken and scattered about and the floor was littered with feathers, couch stuffing, and parchment.

"I'll let you go up the dorms by yourself while I stay and watch guard here. I'll think I'll clear up a bit as well."

She took her wand out and started waving it around, having tables and chairs reassemble themselves, while Lavender made her way up the stone steps leading to her bedroom of seven years. She opened the door and was relieved to see that her room had indeed been untouched. She walked down the rows of beds, lightly touching the gold and red comforters, and remembering each friend that shared the room with her. Hermione's was closest to the door, than Parvati's was in the middle, and Lavender's was at the end, closest to the window. She reached under her bed and rolled out her trunk before heaving it up on her bed and unlatching it. While she had some little things in the Room of Requirement with her, she kept mostly everything back at the dorms. She flung up her wardrobe and started stuffing all her clothes into her trunks. She grabbed any unused quills, inkwells, and parchments and put them in as well. She only took books that she liked or found interesting to her and added all her magazines. She piled her shoes on top and ran into the bathroom to grab all of her toiletries. She packed up fairly quickly, throwing everything in without an organization what so ever. She slung her knapsack over her shoulder and was just about to close her trunk when she was one last thing sitting on her nightstand. She reached over and grabbed the picture frame and sat on her bed. It was her favorite picture in the entire world; a picture of her and Seamus. It was taken during the previous year during one of the Quidditch matches. They were bundled up in Gryffindor gear and were surrounded by their friends. At the moment when the picture was taken, Harry had just caught the snitch, sealing a victory for their house. The moving photograph was both of them screaming in joy and than turned to each other at the exact same moment and kissing each other. It was their first kiss. She went to go put the picture in her knapsack but quickly stopped herself as tears started streaming from her eyes. She loved Seamus with everything she had. It wasn't just that she loved him, but she was IN love with him. She knew that leaving him without answers was going to be the hardest part. She knew that having him out of her life was going to kill her from the inside out. They had talked about getting married one day, living together, having a family. She unconsciously touched her stomach. But she had to leave him. She had to disappear from his world because it would make the break clean and easier for the both of them…hopefully. She set the picture back on the nightstand and touched the photo one last time before latching her trunk closed. She shrunk it down using her wand and stuffed it in her pocket. She walked towards the stairs that led down to the Common Room and stopped in the doorframe, turning back to her room. She had had so many amazing memories there. She had grown up there. And now she was leaving it forever without looking back. She whipped the tears, closed the door, and walked down the stairs.

Professor McGonagall was waiting for her and the Common Room (aside from the fireplace) looked substantially better. The two witches walked out of the tower and down to the teacher's office. Once inside, the elder witch shut the door on the two of them.

"I have about 5 months worth of Wolfsbane potion with me for you to take. You need to take it every night leading up to the full moon. Shut yourself away during your transformation and make sure that you are not around any living creatures."

She handed over the glass vials, which Lavender also shrunk and stuffed into her pocket.

"I'll report to the Ministry that you are a missing war victim."

"Thank you professor."

"I suggest you change your name, Ms. Brown. You will need to get a job to afford the Wolfsbane potion and if you really want to 'disappear,'" there was a certain venom in that last word, "you need to change your identity. Understand?"

The younger witch nodded, feeling the tears well up in her eyes again. It was all so surreal to her. Without warning, Minerva took a step foreword and engulfed her student in her arms. Lavender clung to her like a lifeline. Professor McGonagall was pretty much her mother. She respected and loved the witch so much. They pulled away and Lavender could have sworn she saw her teach wipe a tear away.

"If you need ANYTHING, you owl me, understand? I want you to keep in contact with me. I want to know you're okay. Got that?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Alright. You get on your way now. I have a lot of work to do."

Lavender nodded at her teacher and retreated from the office. She made her way back through the castle and out onto the walk. As soon as she was past the Apparation boundary, she twisted to oblivion and disappeared from sight.


	7. Missing, Mourning, and Managing

2 months later

After having been immediately taken out of the castle by most of their parents, students were allowed to come back to the school and gather their things at their own pace. They had till the end of July to do so and Seamus had waited till the first week of July to make his trip back. He went along with Dean and Neville, needing the moral support. The wizard had been an absolute emotional wreck since hearing that Lavender was officially declared a missing victim of war. He had had a gut feeling that something bad happened when he didn't see her in the Great Hall right after the battle was over, or had not heard from her the day following. But officially hearing it, and seeing her name under the missing persons column in the Daily Prophet sent him over the edge. He cried every day and couldn't stand to be alone. His parents were no comfort to him since they never knew Lavender that well. He stayed with various friends, changing houses every week or so. He stayed at Dean's house the most, seeing as he was his closest friend, but also had stayed with Neville and his grandmother, with Ron at the Burrow, and with Harry and Grimmauld Place. He was back with Dean at the moment because Dean understood the most what he was going through. After all, Dean had lost his girlfriend in the war as well, and not only that, but he saw the life slip out of Emolly's eyes in his own arms. He was just as much as a wreck. What killed Seamus the most was the fact that he had no idea if Lavender was alive…or dead. She could be anywhere. If she was alive, however, Seamus was almost positive that she would try to contact him. He stayed up all night, every night, barely functioning on around 2 hours of sleep each day. Whenever he heard the screech of an owl, he looked towards the sky, hopeful that it was a letter from Lavender saying that she was safe and needed him to come help her…bring her home. He whipped his tears on the back of his sweater sleeve as the three wizards reached the now mended portrait of the Fat Lady. No password was necessary but the Fat Lady never failed to strike up a brief conversation.

"Hello boys."

"Hi." Neville mumbled.

"Glad to see the three of you back here and well."

Seamus didn't say anything and just kept his head down. If only she knew that he really WASN'T well. Dean cleared his throat and motioned for her to open up. She sighed, wanting nothing more than a little human contact, and opened the portrait for them. The three seventh years stepped and stopped in their tracks. It was so surreal for them to be back at the castle for the first time since the battle. They could practically still hear the scream of their fellow classmates fighting…and dying. They silently walked up to their dorm and grabbed all their things, stuffed their clothes and other objects into their trunks, and shrunk them down to fit in their coat pockets. All their memories, all their prized possessions, everything that represented their days at the magical boarding school…fit in their pocket. The three of them looked at the room. Harry and Ron had already been their and gathered their things, so the room was completely empty. The three boys put their arms around each other. Neville snorted.

"Weird, aye mates? When I was younger, I thought I would live at Hogwarts forever."

"It's weird to see our dorm so empty."

"And under these circumstances."

The three of them sighed and took one last, long look before leaving. They had made their way back down the stones steps and into the Common Room when Seamus had a sudden idea.

"Do you think the old enchantment is still on the stairs?"

"Like the one where the stairs turn into a slide if a guy tries to get up to the girls' dorms?"

"Yeah, that one."

"No idea."

Seamus walked back to the stairs and stood where they forked. He looked up towards the girls' rooms and cautiously took a step. Nothing happened. He took another step. Again nothing happened. He looked back at Dean and Neville.

"Well? You two coming? I mean…haven't you guys ever been curious-"

And just like that all three of them were sprinting up the stairs. They ran past each door, looking at the names engraved on the plaques. At Hogwarts, you stayed in the same room all seven years so they made fancy little plaques with your name and your roommates name on them. They passed the underclassmen that had just started out at Hogwarts before the war hit, their plaques still shiny and untouched, until they reached the room with the most worn down sign on it. Seamus felt the wad form in his throat as Neville quietly read the names out loud.

"Hermione Grander. Parvati Patil… Lavender Brown."

He turned the knob and opened the door. They room looked identical to theirs, shocker, but was more spacious considering there were only three beds instead of five like their room had had. They slowly walked in, looking around them as they went. For one thing, even having the room virtually untouched for two years, the girls kept their room way more organized than the boys did. The desks were all in order, the curtains were perfectly pulled back, the wardrobes were aligned and free of scratches, and the beds were, crazy enough, perfectly made. Neville could easily tell, based on little things here and there, who slept in each bed. He pointed at the bed closest to the door and snorted.

"This must have been Hermione's bed."

Dean looked at him with a quizzical look on his face.

"How do you reckon that?"

Neville walked over to the lamp fastened on the wall.

"The lamp is crooked so that if you were to turn it on," which he did, "the light would shine directly on your bed. Hermione probably stayed up every night reading or studying."

He moved to the bed at the other end of the room, the one by the window, and looked at the nightstand next to it.

"This one was Lavender's."

Seamus quickly spun around.

"How can you tell?"

Neville extended his arm and grabbed the frame that Seamus had not initially seen. He looked at the photo for a little while, smiled, and than gave it to Seamus.

"This was on the nightstand. Huh, I took this picture."

Seamus took the photograph from his friend and sat down on Lavender's bed. He smiled as he watched the moving photograph; them cheering for their team and then suddenly, as if they could read each other's minds, locking lips for the first time. He rubbed his thumb over his girlfriend's face as he friends came and sat on either side of him. Hot tears fell down his face once more. Seamus started at the witch's bright face.

"Where are you Lavender? Where are you?"

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Lavender screamed out in agony as she reached the tail end of her transformation. Her guttural instincts to kill, bite, and trash waned as her human qualities took over her body once more. She wailed as the pain rocketed through every bone in her body. Transforming every full moon was the most painful that she had ever experienced in her life. She felt like she was moments away from death, only to be saved at the last moment when she wanted to just cry out, "KILL ME NOW!" She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands. How could she go on, experiencing this over and over again? Even more, how would her baby survive? She took some deep breaths and finally stood up, her body still extremely faint from the transformation. Her walked into the kitchen and grabbed herself some pain relieving potion. She was living in a small shack in Scotland that belonged to Professor McGonagall's family. She was the name on the mortgage, considering all her siblings had passed, and gave to Lavender for keeps. The old teacher said she never used it and saw it more as a liability that a vacation home. As soon as Lavender got a steady job and could pay it off, the house would be officially hers. It was perfect for a single mother, really. There were two bedrooms and one bath and a fully functioning kitchen. That was all you could ask for in a sense. It was situated along the countryside off a dirt road with houses every 10 miles or so. She had enough privacy to deal with her problems and transformation while also knowing that she wasn't completely alone. She went into the bedroom and flopped down onto the mattress, completely exhausted. Another transformation done, an infinity more of them to go.


	8. Lanterns

**Chapter Song **

**Fix You **

**By: Coldplay**

6 Months after the Battle

It had been six long months since the Battle of Hogwarts and since the Chosen One had defeated Lord Voldemort. Most of the Death Eaters had been rounded up by the Aurors and put on trial. Most were found guilty of malicious charges and were sent to Azkaban. Some claimed that they were only acting under the control of the Imperious Curse. Of course, those that DID claim that were tested with various truth telling spells, including Veritaserum. Most, scary enough, were telling the truth. Mass scale search parties were constructed and set out to search the castle and all the grounds within a 50 mile radius or so for any bodies, lost survivors, or Death Eaters hiding out. Seamus had, of course, volunteered to be a searcher. He went out with a new group everyday, searching a new square of land. He was looking for any sign of his girlfriend, a piece of colorful fabric, her heart necklace that she wore everyday, the bandana that she wore in her hair during the battle…anything. But, alas, he didn't find anything that could even hint to her surviving. He came up short handed after ever search and became more and more depressed with the thought that she was gone forever. He became so introverted, in fact, that Dean and Neville staged an intervention.

"You've got to stop torturing yourself like this mate."

"I agree with Dean. This isn't healthy. I'm not saying that she should come to the conclusion that she's dead but it HAS been months and I think you-"

"Don't you dare tell me what you THINK I should do Longbottom."

"I'm sorry Seamus but you need to let her go."

"I can't."

"You need to celebrate her. Remember her for who she was."

Seamus just shook his head. He knew that what Neville was saying was right, but he didn't want to believe it. Dean patted him on his shoulder.

"Think about it mate."

And thinking about it was exactly was Seamus did. He thought about it all the time. He felt it was only right that she be honored and celebrated. Thing was, he had no idea how to do that for her. He didn't want to do anything close to a memorial service because that would feel too much like a funeral. He wanted to do something personal for him and her schoolmates that were close to her. He wanted it to be an intimate thing with people who actually cared about her. Not people who felt they had to come because of an obligation. He talked to Dean and Neville about it since they were the ones to bring up the idea. They settled on something beautiful and something simple, but something that would mean the world to Seamus nonetheless.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

It was indeed intimate, just as Seamus stressed. There were only schoolmates there, people who interacted with her on a daily basis. Dean and Neville were of course there, along with Neville's girlfriend, Aubrielle. The Golden Trio were there, Ron taking it harder than the other two considering that Lavender not only had been his first girlfriend, but his first love. Luna was there, as were the Patil Twins, and Ginny showed up sans Draco (considering that he really didn't know her). It was the perfect group of people for her. Absolutely perfect.

They had a nighttime dinner at Dean's place and raised their glasses to her life. They told stories about their times at Hogwarts, sometimes the topic of conversation would stray from Lavender on onto a funny story or something along those lines but that made things better for Seamus. It was nice to laugh a little and let the conversation flow easily. Besides, if it had been nothing but good times with Lavender, it would have felt like a funeral. He didn't want that. His favorite stories were either ones that involved Dumbledore's Army…or when she was dating Ron.

"She was barmy when I was dating her…really."

Hermione smirked. "Absolutely obsessed."

Ron ran his fingers through his shaggy red hair and smiled.

"I shouldn't be telling you guys this…I mean...Seamus?"

"Yeah?"

"Would it be inappropriate to retell a story about us being intimate? It's bloody hilarious I swear."

"Tell it than! All in good heart, yeah?"

"Of course. Okay so here it is. I'll be honest, the only reason I stuck with her for so long was because of her enthusiasm for…uh…"

"Sex."

"Gee, thanks Hermione. But yeah, sex. And as most of you know, she was my first; I'm not afraid to say that. But with her it was like, okay, we had one time when it was regular and normal and whatever and then second time? Boom. Weird fucking shit."

Everyone laughed. He blushed than continued.

"Well and you all know how she use to call me Won Won."

"Oh yeah we did."

"So anyway, there was one night when she walked past me in the Common Room and came and whispered in my ear. She said, 'meet me in the Quidditch locker rooms,' and walked out the portrait. Well I knew that no one had practiced that late at night and I knew what she wanted so I gave her a little time before heading out to the locker rooms."

"Dear Merlin Ron-"

"Shhh!"

"So ANYWAY, I followed her out there, excited for what was to come, and I walk in, and there she is…dressed as Madame Hooch."

"WHAT THE F-"

"Let him tell the story Dean!"

"Yeah, Madame Hooch. And she had my broom in her hand. I, of course, gave her a confused look and she said, 'I'm going to teach you the right way to ride a broom.'"

Everyone burst out laughing and Seamus shook his head. He could absolutely picture Lavender doing something cheesy like that. Ron's face was getting gradually redder as his story progressed.

"So I kind of ignored the cheesiness and started going for it…ya know, shagging and all. And half way through, she picked up my broom and fucking wacked me on the arse with it!"

Again, everyone erupted in a fit of laughter.

"And the worst part? One of the straw bristles left such a deep scratch, that I still have a mark on my bum."

Hermione dropped her jaw. "THAT'S WHAT THAT IS FROM!?"

"Yep."

Everyone lost it at that point. Harry was crying from laughing so hard, Ron's face was bright red, and Neville had to swallow hard to keep himself from doing a spit take. Seamus smiled. Yeah, it was stories like that they made the night an amazing one.

After they were done with dinner and had shared their memories, everyone went into the backyard. This was the moment in the night that really choked everyone up. They all had been given paper lanterns a few nights prior to the dinner to decorate. They brought them all out, all of them looking beautiful, and opened them up for everyone to see. Some had stories written on them. Some had jewels or drawings. Some even had pictures transferred onto them. Seamus's was simple. It had that picture of him and Lavender kissing on it with the words, "I hope this guides you home," underneath. They all laid them out on the lawn and pointed their wands at them. The lanterns lit up in various colors and began to float in the air. Then, one by one, they sent the lanterns into the sky, watching them float away into the dark night sky. They contrasted drastically against the mid night blue palate and reminded Seamus that even in the dark, there could still be a glimmer of home.


	9. Six Years Later

6 years later

Seamus moaned and groaned as the sunlight streamed through his windows and lit up his room. He did not want to get out of bed because is bed was ridiculously comfy. He pulled the comforter over his head again but it was no use; he was already awake and couldn't fall back asleep. He shot the blanket to the foot of his bed and swung his feet around to the edge of his mattress. He rubbed his eyes and looked at his nightstand. Sitting there was the picture of him and Lavender at the Quidditch game, sharing their first kiss. He looked at it for a while and sighed, just like he did every morning, before kissing his first two fingers on his right hand and pressing them to Lavender's face. He walked over to his wardrobe and pulled a soft sweater over his head before heading downstairs to the kitchen. About a year and a half ago, him and Dean bought their own place in a neighborhood a couple miles away from Diagon Alley. It was mostly younger people living around them and a lot of them were Hogwarts students. Parvati and Padma were just a couple houses away, Neville and Aubrielle were through their backyard, and Ginny and Draco (who were weirdly enough perfect for each other), lived the street over. It was an ideal place for a younger person to live and being around friends was an added perk. Dean and Seamus, having both lost their loves in the war, naturally stayed with each other after moving out of their parent's houses. Dean was, for the most part, back on his feet again. Sure, he still thought about Emolly from time to time, like on her birthday or their old anniversary, but he was already dating again and really happy with Hannah Abbot. Seamus loved them together, truthfully, and while he missed Emolly as well, the couple worked so well together.

Seamus still missed Lavender on a daily basis. She was still considered a missing person, though the chances of her still being alive were slim. It had been five long years since the war and a lot of people were still recovering. Seamus was constantly baffled about her disappearance. They ran search parties for her right after the war and absolutely combed the forbidden forest and in all the outlying areas, but they found nothing. Absolutely nothing. No one had even seen her get attacked or run off. It was like she disappeared into thin air. The last person to see her was Hermione and Seamus had talked to her on many occasions. Hermione had told him that Fenrir Greyback had attacked her and Hermione blasted him off of her. She said that Madame Pomfrey took over from there. But when the wizard questioned the Healer, she said that she blacked out during the battle and couldn't remember much of anything. It was a dead end from there and that's all that is known. Seamus had concluded after about 6 months that she was never coming back into his life again.

He tried going on a few dates a couple years later, but it wasn't the same. He just couldn't find a girl that he had a strong connection with like he had had with Lavender. He just would always love her, period.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

"MUM! MUM! MUM! Look what I caught!"

A small little boy with bright amber eyes and shaggy brown hair came storming into the small cottage that was situated along a dirt road in Scotland. He was wearing a pair of lose blue jeans and a black and red flannel shirt. He had mud on his shoes and the bottoms of his pant legs. He stood on the back door rug, making sure to not track mud into the kitchen since his mother would kill him.

"MUM! COME LOOK! Oh…I think it just peed in my hand."

Lavender emerged from her bedroom and rolled her eyes at her son.

"I swear to god Thomas Finn if you brought another snake into this house-"

"IT'S NOT A SNAKE MOMMA I PROMISE!"

He was jumping up and down on the rug with a partially toothless grin on his face. One hand was cupped over the other and Lavender approached her little outdoorsman with caution.

"Okay…what did you catch?"

He peeked into his hands real quick before slowly uncovering what was in his palm. Lavender couldn't help but awe at the small creature in her son's equally small hand. There, contently sitting, was a small black toad. Thomas was beaming down at his new little friend.

"Can I keep him, mum?"

"Thomas, how many times do I have to tell you…outside animals need to stay outside or they won't be happy. You want you little toad-"

"I named him Oliver!"

"Okay…Oliver. You want Oliver to be happy, don't you?"

The toddler looked down at his find and frowned. "I guess I do momma."

"Than Oliver should stay outside."

"Okay."

He turned around and walked back out the back door to put his toad back in its natural environment.

Thomas was a little over five and a half years old and the joy in Lavender's life. He was spontaneous and energetic and she saw so much of Seamus in him, physically and personality wise. Not only did he look like a mini Seamus, but he had that same knack for adventure and getting into trouble. He constantly was digging up worms or catching random creatures in the backyard and naming them. He also loved making forts and playing make believe. Pirates was easily his favorite and Lavender couldn't help but smile every time he wanted her to light a cannon. He never failed to remind her that the cannons were his favorite part because he loved to blow things up. When Lavender burst out laughing the first time he said it, and he asked her what was so funny, she simply responded 'Nothing Thomas. Just a joke with an old friend.' He never questioned her laughing again.

Thomas was at the age where his werewolf traits were starting to come in during the full moon. He wouldn't fully transform until age ten, but small things would happen. He would grow fangs, crave raw meat, or get excessive fur. There was no pain for the time being but there would be in the future.

All werewolves had to be registered with the Ministry and official documents had to be signed. Since Thomas was Seamus's son, and if he were still in his life he would take the name Finnegan, Lavender changed her last name to Finn. There was still a part of Seamus with them, and rightfully so, but not the full name as to be questionable. They were on a Wolfsbane Welfare plan, receiving the helpful potion in large quantities a couple times a year. Thomas also had to visit a special Healer at St. Mungo's once every 4 months to keep up with his progress since he was still so young. During these visits, Lavender was cautious to keep her head down and wear something on her head as to not be recognized.

It killed her that everyone thought she was dead or still missing. She wanted so badly to simply go to Seamus and reveal herself, tell him that they had a child, and that they could live happily ever after. They couldn't do that, however, because she was a werewolf and her son would also be a full on in a little under 5 years. Seamus probably wouldn't even love them if she DID show up.

Lavender went over to the back door and yelled out for her son.

"THOMAS! DINNER SOON!"

She heard a distant, "OKAY MOMMA!" She walked back into the kitchen and flicked her wand, making the plates and silverware set the table for two.


	10. Minerva McGonagall

11 years after the Battle at Hogwarts

Lavender heard the sharp rap on her door and her insides went into frenzy mode. She had been expecting this certain visitor for a while now, considering the fact that she did not respond to her letter that she sent earlier that month. Lavender noticed the concerned look on her almost 11 year old son's face.

"It's okay Thomas. I know who's at the door. How about you go play in your room for a little bit? This is going to be an adult conversation."

"Alright mum."

The young werewolf trooped into his room and shut the door behind him. Lavender straightened herself out and marched to her front door, slowly opening it. Standing before, looking as worn and old as always, was Headmistress McGonagall.

"Lavender, sweetie, you look great."

"Thank you Professor."

"Lavender, we are both grown adults here. You can call me Minerva."

Lavender motioned for her old teacher to step inside and she shut the door behind her.

"Tea?"

"Yes please dear."

Lavender walked into the kitchen and started a new pot of tea while Minerva went and sat at the dinning room table. The elder witch looked around at her old cottage and smiled.

"You've really cleaned this place up. It looks wonderful."

"Thank you."

Lavender poured two mugs of tea and joined her friend at the table.

"I can never say thank you enough for letting Thomas and I live here."

"Not a problem at all."

Professor McGonagall took a long swig of her tea.

"Now. As you probably have guessed, I'm here to talk about Thomas and his schooling. I'm sure you got his Hogwarts acceptance letter."

Lavender took a deep breath and nodded her head.

"But you haven't made any preparations or signed him up for classes."

Lavender looked at her old mentor. "I don't know if it's safe Minerva. I have done so much to keep us a secret, to cut us off from the wizarding world, and that would completely erase everything that I have accomplished. It would be shoving him into a world that he has no idea about. Not only that, but he is a full werewolf now and-"

"We have a Werewolves Anonymous staff at Hogwarts now. Many people were bitten during the war and there are about a dozen or so students there right now that are going through the same thing as Thomas. He would be taken care of by well-qualified healers and teachers. We would also, of course, keep his reasons for visits a secret. It would be up to Thomas whether or not people knew about his condition. He needs proper magical training, Lavender."

Lavender tapped on the edge of her tea mug. She knew that this day would come eventually, but she just couldn't believe that it was already here. She was so afraid for Thomas to go out into the wizarding world. People would ask him questions like where we was from, what his blood status was, and who his parents were. Lavender had told Thomas a little bit about his father but no strenuous details. All Thomas knew was that his father was a wizard who was a Gryffindor and he was not going to ever be in their lives. Nothing more, nothing less.

"His parentage also needs to be kept confidential. No one can know who his parents are."

Minerva pursed her lips. She didn't like the idea of Thomas's whole life being a secret. But she had to respect Lavender's wishes because that was what she agreed to.

"Fine. But I do need to tell you, Neville Longbottom is the Herbology Professor now."

Lavender choked on the tea she was drinking and swallowed hard.

"He is?!"

"Yes. He really knows the subject well and the students love him."

"Minerva, Thomas is a spitting image of his father. Surely Neville will recognize him."

"Well that is something that you will have to chance, Lavender. My point is that Thomas needs an education. He needs to come to Hogwarts. Not only will he be a great wizard, but he needs interaction with more people than just you and his doctors at St. Mungo's. He needs friends. He needs to meet kids his own age who have the same condition as him."

Lavender chewed on her bottom lip, consumed in thought. It was true. Thomas really did need to meet other young werewolves so he didn't feel so alone. He needed friends and needed more people in his life. But still. The thought of sending her son to Hogwarts scared Lavender. Not because she didn't think it would be good for him, but because she was terrified of someone finding out exactly who he was. Having Neville at the school as a professor was the main cause for panic. Neville was probably still very close to Seamus, seeing as they were best friends at school. How well would be able to recognize Thomas? Who he bug her son with questions about who his mum and dad were? Would he try to look at family records? Which were, by the way, very vague and didn't glean any real answers to anything, just that both his parents were of magical lineage. She sighed. But that shouldn't matter. His education should matter and honestly, that came first in Lavender's eyes.

"Alright. He'll go."

Headmistress McGonagall beamed.

"I'm so happy that you are letting him come to Hogwarts. He'll do great things there."

Lavender gave her old head of house a genuine smile. Her son was a brilliant kid, after all.

o.O.o

"Momma! It says that I can bring a pet! A cat, an owl, or a toad! Can I get one momma? Please?!"

Lavender rolled her eyes at her son's puppy dog eyes.

"Of course you can Thomas. Just…not an owl. I don't like bird all that well."

"That's alright. I wanted a toad anyway!"

So they traveled down Diagon Alley until they reached Magical Menagerie. Thomas squealed as he saw the various pets in the widows and sprinted through the door. So far school supply shopping had gone well. He already had everything else on his list, including his books, wand, robes, scales, and potion ingredients. The last thing was his pet, which in Lavender's mind was only going to be an option if they had enough money left over after getting all the necessities. Much to Thomas's delight, they had plenty left over. Lavender smiled as her son peered into every toad habit in the store.

They store was decently crowded with other students picking out their animal of choice. Lavender used some small magic to change her appearance around a bit, altering her hair and eye color as well as her facial shape, as to not be recognized. She watched people out of the corner of her eye to see if she recognized anyone. For the most part, she didn't think she would because her generation were still very young to have kids but too old to still go to Hogwarts. They wouldn't be shopping in Diagon Alley for school supplies.

"MOMMA! I WANT HIM!"

Lavender whipped her head around to see Thomas maneuvering towards her. In his hands was a fat, speckled toad the size of a small Bludger. It was content in Thomas's hands, not to Lavender's surprise. Her son was brilliant with animals.

"It's called a Natterjack toad and it's only 5 galleons! Can I get him momma? PLEASE!?"

He held the toad up a little too closely to her face but she smiled at it nonetheless. It really was cute…in it's own way. She smiled.

"Okay, you can get him-"

"YES!"

"-BUT you have to take of him well, okay? We'll have to pick out a habitat for him as well. Oh, and food!"

"Already on it!"

Her son went back through the crowd with a new determination to find all the supplies he needed for his new friend. He met Lavender at the cash register and they filed out of the store. Thomas put the toad in a travel container and held it closely to his chest. He would never let that toad out of his sight. Lavender chuckled to herself as they made their way towards the Leaky Cauldron to leave the Alley. Knowing her son, he would probably try to bring the toad to his classes with him. They exited the pub and were back in muggle London, her son instinctively grabbing her hand. She looked down at him, clutching his pet.

"Have you thought of a name for him yet, Thomas?"

"Kind of! I mean, I've thought of a couple but I want it to be really cool. Something unique. Something where, when I tell the other kids his name, they'll wonder how I came up with it."

"Ah. I see. When I was at Hogwarts, there was a girl in my year with a cat named Crookshanks."

"Crookshanks. Was there anyone in your year with a toad?"

"Yes. There was a boy. But he didn't have a clever name for him. His toad's name was Trevor."

Thomas stuck out his tongue. "Not clever at all."

They kept walking for a little bit when, finally, Thomas had the name that he was searching for.

"I've got it! I'll name him Amicus! That's Latin for 'friend!'"

Lavender looked down at her son with a puzzled look.

"How do you know Latin?"

"I found a book in the attic. All about Latin. I memorized certain words that I liked." He held his toad to his face. "You like that Amicus? Your name means friend!"

Lavender smiled. What a son she had.


	11. Through the Barrier

"Okay Thomas, are you ready? You're going to walk right through the 9 and 10 barrier."

"Right at the brick?!"

She smiled down at her clearly nervous son. He was gripping Amicus close to his chest and pushing his cart with his free hand. Lavender placed her hand over his own.

"Through the brick. I'll do it with you. C'mon now."

She went to take a step foreword but her son stayed put. She looked back at him. He was trembling.

"Thomas, how can you honestly tell me that you are frightened right now? You play back in those woods, by yourself, all the time but this scares you even though I am right here?"

"Momma…woods makes sense. Walking into a brick wall…no sense."

She snorted. "Let me prove to you that it DOES make sense. Close your eyes if you have to."

Thomas looked up at his mom and then back at the brick wall in front of him. He slowly nodded his head, finally ready to give it a go. Lavender moved her hand so she could grip the cart as well and stood directly behind her son.

"Okay. We're going to go right at it. Don't slow down. Trust me Thomas."

"O…okay momma."

"Ready?"

He gulped.

"One, two…three!"

They started trotting towards the barrier, picking up the pace the closer they got. Right before they went through, Thomas squeezed his eyes shot and gasped as a cooling sensation washed over his entire body. Lavender patted him on the back to reassure him that they were still okay. She leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"Thomas, open your eyes."

Her son did as he was told and took in his new surroundings.

"WOAH! LOOK AT THAT TRAIN!"

Stationary on the tracks was the famous scarlet engine that Lavender had been on so many times before. She smiled at the sight in front of her, feeling a sense of nostalgia. Last time she was aboard the locomotive, she was sharing a compartment with Neville, Dean, Ginny, and Seamus. The thought put a pang in her stomach. That tended to happen whenever she thought about her son's father. Thomas tugged on her hand and she looked down into his wide eyes.

"Yes?"

"This is how I get to Hogwarts?"

"Yes it is! Now lets go get your things on board and get you settled in."

Moments later, after Thomas had found a compartment to stay in along with Amicus, Lavender was back on platform nine and three quarters by herself. The train tooted its horn, causing smoke to billow out, signaling its departure. Thomas stuck his head out the window and was furiously waving at his mother, who was getting choked up. She waved at him and blew him a kiss.

"BYE MOMMA! I'LL WRITE EVERY WEEK AND TELL YOU WHAT HOUSE I GET IN!"

"PLEASE DO THOMAS! I LOVE YOU!"

And just like that, her son was whisked away to begin his first year at Hogwarts.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

_Dear Momma,_

_ I WAS PUT INTO GRYFFINDOR. Doesn't surprise me much considering you were a Gryffindor and you said my dad was too. I already made some new friends. There are two other Gryffindor boys in my year. Their names are Arnold and Oliver. Arnold has a barn owl named Hoot and Oliver doesn't have a pet. They are both really cool and we are already good friends. Headmistress McGonagall seems really strict. She always has some sort of scowl on her face. She seems nice enough though and it's really cool to see her turn into a cat. She already knew who I was before sorting! How crazy is that?! The coolest thing about her though is that she is a Gryffindor too and use to be head of Gryffindor house. Our head of house is Professor Longbottom. He's really young. Like your age young. That makes him really cool because he understands kids and knows how to deal with us. And guess what? He's going to be my Herbology professor too! I haven't had his class yet, but I am so excited to have him as a teacher. Everything is going great so far. I've already talked to the Werewolves Anonymous committee and they are awesome! They have a special place for me to transform every full moon and endless Wolfsbane potion. If people ask where I go, they have an entire scenario written up. I'm part of a super advanced Care of Magical Creatures Class…which would be cool if that actually existed. Changing without you in the next room for the first time will be weird, but someone will still be there so I don't feel alone. I'll write to you again soon. I love you momma!_

_ Your son,_

_ Thomas_

Lavender put down the letter, subconsciously smiling to herself. It was no surprise to her that Thomas was put into Gryffindor. After all, both her and Seamus belonged to that house and her son definitely showed the traits needed to be a lion. She was also very relieved to know that he was already making friends with his fellow classmates. He was going to have 7 years of schooling with them, let alone sharing the same dorm room, and he needed to have a good relationship with them. She picked up the letter and re read it. She chuckled when he mentioned Professor McGonagall seeming strict. She certainly was, there was no questioning it, but it was hilarious at how identical his thoughts were about her as Lavender's. She distinctly remembered seeing her head of house for the first time and being scared of her. She really DID always have some sort of scowl on her face, even though she was a completely sweetheart. She kept reading and felt her stomach go into her throat when she read the part about Neville. She had been worried enough as is about Neville seeing Thomas during Herbology classes, but now he would surely interact with her son all the time, being the Gryffindor head of house. And it was already very apparent that Thomas took a strong liking to Neville. Would her son become so comfortable with her old friend that he would reveal his mother's first name or the fact that both of his parents were both Gryffindors? Or would Neville not even realize the strong resemblance that Thomas has to Seamus? It would actually make sense if he didn't considering the small fact that everyone thought Lavender was a missing person of war. Or, in other words…dead. She sighed. She just needed to calm down. Thomas was at Hogwarts, in Gryffindor, getting an education, and making friends. Nothing was going to go wrong. He was going to be a normal kid.

Well, a normal kid that was also a werewolf.

Same thing.


	12. First Day of Herbology

"Alright, I gotta put you away Amicus. I'll come let you out as soon as I can though."

Thomas gingerly set his toad in his habitat and closed the cage. He looked at his beloved pet for a tad before Oliver grabbed at his robe.

"Alright mate your toad will be there when we get back from class. Now can we get to Herbology already? I want to see what Professor Longbottom is all about."

Thomas's third roommate, Arnold, came out of the bathroom with his hair all spiked up. He grabbed his bag off his bed and slung it over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I want to see if he can hang or not. Lets get going."

Thomas quickly grabbed his bag and joined the other two. They traveled out the stairs, through the common room, out the portrait, and through the halls until they reached the front door. The three boys had already become inseparable. They went everywhere together: the library, the Great Hall, the fields…they even knew about Thomas's condition. They had been sitting in their dorm one night, getting to know each other, when they asked about Thomas's home life. He simply told them that he was an only child living with his mother in the outskirts of Scotland. Of course, Thomas's vague answer launched his two friends into question mode.

"Well what about your dad?" Asked Alvin.

"Don't know him. All I know is that he was a wizard and he was in Gryffindor, just like my mom."

"Well is he still alive?" Questioned Oliver.

"Yes. But momma says he can't be in our lives anymore. Plain as that."

His two friends raised their eyebrows. Alvin was twirling his wand in his fingers and Oliver had a Quidditch magazine open in front of him. Oliver turned the page but kept his eyes on Thomas.

"Why the outskirts of Scotland? Why not closer to the wizarding community?"

"My mum and I like to have our privacy."

"Why?" Pushed Alvin. "Hiding something?"

Thomas bit his lower lip. He had only know these blokes for a few days but could he trust them? What revealing things had they told him that could insinuate that? Well, Alvin's mum had died in the war. Thomas guessed that that was huge to tell. And Oliver HAD mentioned to them that his older sister was a squib. Yeah, he could trust them. They would probably figure it out by the end of the year anyway.

"Okay. If I tell you guys something, you PROMISE not say a word to ANYONE?! Like, I would make you guys to the Unbreakable Vow if I actually knew how to do that."

The two boys leaned in closer with their eyes wide.

"Of course Thomas. You're our friend. We promise on our lives not tell."

Oliver nodded in agreement to Alvin. "Promise."

Thomas took a deep breath. "We have to live out there because my mum and i…well…we're werewolves."

Alvin and Oliver's jaws dropped. They leaned back, taking in the explosive information. Alvin had his hand over his mouth. Oliver put a reassuring hand on Thomas's knee.

"Dude, your secret is safe with me. Although, I gotta admit…that's pretty badass."

"Badass is right! You can destroy stuff! I bet you're super powerful when you transform!"

Thomas smirked a little. "I kinda am. I mean…my mum and I have to lock ourselves in separate room when the full moon appears so we don't hurt each other. We have to clear everything out of the rooms too. The first time I fully changed, we forgot to do that. I smashed a lamp, ripped straight through the curtains, and destroyed my desk chair."

The two boys leaned back even further. Alvin gulped.

"You…you're not gonna change in HERE…are you?"

Thomas giggled a little. "No of course not. There's a committee here that is gonna help me out. They knew exactly what to do."

Oliver grinned widely. "Wicked."

And ever since then the three had been the best of friends. One thing that they all had in common was the uncanny urge to have adventures and sneak around the castle. They wanted to know the place like the back of their hand by the time mid terms came. This strong urge to explore kept them glued to each other.

The three first years made their way down to the Hogwarts Greenhouses side by side. They entered house number 2 and found their spot along the long, wooden table that was directly in the center of the room. They were waiting anxiously for Professor Longbottom to enter, wondering what he was really like up close and personal. They weren't waiting much longer as the young teacher soon entered from a small office door in the corner.

"Hello class. Ahh…my fellow Gryffindors. How are you lot doing today?"

A chorus of 'goods' echoed throughout the room as Neville took his spot at the head of the table. He beamed at them all.

"Very well. I'll take attendance first so I can learn your names. I'll also probably stare at you awhile in this really creepy way." The class giggled and Neville flashed a pearly white smile. "It helps me connect the face to the name. Alright, first off I guess. Alvin Adams. Well, that's quite an A name. Where are you?"

Alvin nervously held up his hand and, just as Neville forewarned, stared at his student for a while. Alvin's face turned bright red. Neville laughed when he was done staring.

"Warned ya, didn't I? Alright next person. Tammy Burbage. Are you by any chance related to the late Charity Burbage who use to profess here?"

A mousy girl with straw colored hair nodded her head. "She was my aunt Professor Longbottom."

Neville shook his head. "So sad what happened to her, really."

"Well I didn't know her. I was born after she…died."

"But of course. Well…let me stare at you than."

Neville kept going through the list like this, still naming off the kids with last names at the being of the alphabet.

"Thomas Finn."

Thomas raised his hand high into the air. Neville marked a check next to his name to say that he was here and lifted his head to find the boy. As soon as his eyes connected with Thomas's, his eyes widened and his jaw went slack. Thomas knit his eyebrows together.

"Something wrong, professor?"

Neville kept staring at Thomas but didn't say anything right away. Thomas had to say something again before Neville snapped out of it.

"Professor…?"

"I'm sorry Thomas, terribly sorry. You just…wow."

"What?"

"You just look like someone I know. Well…when he was here, of course."

"Was he a Gryffindor too?"

"Yeah…he was."

Thomas shrugged his shoulders. He was kind of spooked out at how Professor Longbottom was acting, actually.

Neville quickly came back to reality and went through the rest of roll call before beginning class. He actually was a really cool dude and Thomas quickly found himself admiring the young teacher. He had a feeling that Professor Longbottom liked him too since he never went more than 5 minutes without peaking a glance at Thomas. Thomas concluded that they were going to be good friends.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

_ Dean,_

_Dude I had the weirdest thing happen today. There is a Gryffindor first year that looks like a mini Seamus. I'm not even exaggerating when I say this. Same shaggy brown hair. Same eyes. Same jaw line. It's ridiculous. I literally couldn't get over it. Weirdest part…his last name is Finn. Not Finnegan but Finn. Look, don't tell Seamus this because I don't want to get him all riled up after all these years but there is no way that they are not related. I just…I'm just gonna get to know this kid more. Hope everything is going well. See you blokes in a couple of weeks once Quidditch starts._

_ Neville_


	13. Thomas's File

Neville sped walked to his office, not wanting to let go what he had just saw. Thomas Finn looked uncannily like Seamus and Neville was going to do some digging. At Hogwarts, after a student has been sorted into a house by the Sorting Hat, their magical file is automatically transferred to the office of the Head of House. Therefore, with Neville being the head of house for Gryffindor, Thomas's file rested inside the large drawer labeled 'FIRST YEARS.' Neville darted into his office and shut the door behind him before flinging off his bag on a near by chair. He took out his wand and tapped the drawer three times; it responded by flying open with surprising speed. He rifled through the files until he found the one he wanted. It was thin black folder and the identification, FINN, THOMAS, was written with neat gold lettering. Neville grabbed the file and sat down at his desk before opening it.

Neville was surprised to see that a lot of the information on Thomas's file was confidential, even to the head of house. Neville read each line carefully, saying most of the information out loud to himself.

"Lives at home with his mother. Outskirts of Scotland. Mother wishes to keep her name confidential…huh. That's odd. Father not involved."

He kept reading, getting more excited as he did.

"Mother is a witch (Gryffindor), father is a wizard (Gryffindor)."

Both of his parents were in Gryffindor which completely fit into Neville's hypothesis. He flipped the page and felt his heart drop at his new found information.

"Werewolf since birth. Receiving help from the Werewolves Anonymous Committee."

Neville frowned. Seamus wasn't a werewolf and Lavender wasn't either. There was no way that Thomas could be their kid. There was no way that Lavender was still alive. He threw the file onto his desk with a huff and crossed his arms over his chest. He sat there, staring at the picture of Thomas, befuddled. He had been so convinced upon first seeing the child that he was Seamus's son. And if that were the case, the only person that could be the mother was Lavender. But Lavender was a missing person of war and to this day had not been found. She mysteriously left the world and the last anyone saw of her was Madame Pomfrey carrying her off after being attacked by Greyback….

"HOLY SHIT!"

Neville grabbed Thomas's file, stuffed it in his bag, and sprinted towards Headmistress McGonagall's office.

o.O.o

_Mum,_

_The weirdest thing happened today in Herbology. Professor Longbottom kept telling me over and over again that I look just like one of his friends from when he went here. The weirdest thing is that his friend was in Gryffindor too! Now, I know you don't like to talk about my dad, but his friend…the one that I look just like…could HE be my father? I mean you said my dad was in Gryffindor too and it kind of make sense if I look like him. I'm sorry for asking mum, I know you don't want to talk about it but I'm just being curious. I love you. Write back!_

_ Your son,_

_ Thomas_

Lavender set the letter down as her heart rate started to speed up. This was not good. No this was not good at all. In fact, this was absolutely terrifying. Lavender quickly took out a piece of parchment and a quill. She needed to communicate with Minerva ASAP.

o.O.o

Neville didn't even knock; he just barged right into McGonagall's office. She quickly looked up from what she was writing, stunned by her unannounced visitor.

"Neville! You know, a knock would be nice-"

"Who is Thomas Finn's mother?"

He reached into his bag and held up Thomas's file. Minerva froze for a moment before calmly rolling up the parchment she was writing on and putting away her quill and inkwell.

"That information has been requested to stay conf-"

"I don't give a rat's ass what their request is! Who is Thomas's Finn's mother?!"

"Now Neville you will not talk to me like that in my own office!"

"Headmistress please!"

He briskly walked foreword and stood in front of her desk. He opened the file and took out the picture of Thomas. He held it right in front of her face.

"This child, Minerva, this child looks like a spitting image of Seamus Finnegan. His parents are both listed as being Gryffindors. The father is not involved and he lives alone with his mother."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…I'm saying that I think Lavender Brown is still alive and the mother of this child. She's still sodding alive and you know and you've been keeping it a secret."

The witch pursed her lips but did not hint anything in her facial expression.

"Neville that is-"

"AND HE'S A WEREWOLF! He's a werewolf and he has been from birth and the last anyone saw of Lavender was Madame Pomfrey carrying her away after having being attacked by GREYBACK! It makes sense; it all add up! Thomas would be born a werewolf if Lavender survived because Greyback would have changed her! Minerva if Lavender is still alive, Seamus needs to know! It's been 11 long years and-"

"ENOUGH. Professor Longbottom I will NOT have you coming in here, bantering off silly stories and accusing me of things! The information is confidential and I am going to keep it that way. Now, please let me get back to what I was doing before you decided to barge in her unannounced."

"But Headmistress I-"

"NOW."

Neville sighed and stuffed the folder back into his bag. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the witch's office. He was not going to let this go.

As soon as the door slammed shut Minerva took the roll of parchment back out. She quickly dipped her quill in ink and continued writing her letter to Lavender.

…_Neville is one to you. He looked at Thomas's file and put all the pieces together. He wanted to know more but I refused to tell him as it is our promise to each other. But I warn you Lavender; this is going to come out soon. I can just feel it. It will come out and it will be a complete shock to your friends and family. You need to think about what your next move is because it's getting to the point where I cannot help you anymore. Hope you are well._

_ Minerva McGonagall_


	14. Interrogations and Introductions

Neville, still with Thomas's file in his bag, marched right to Gryffindor tower. The Fat Lady was busy admiring herself in a hand held mirror when the Professor approached, heated and on a mission. She looked at him through dreamy eyes.

"Password?"

"Doua Sansa!"

He shouted the password that he had personally chosen and the portrait lazily swung foreword. He stomped into the Common Room, much to everyone's surprise. He looked from face to face, not seeing Thomas. He turned to a pretty fourth year witch with freckles and strawberry blonde hair.

"Isabella."

"Yes Professor Longbottom?"

"Do you know who Thomas Finn is?"

She smiled, showing off her blindingly white teeth. "Yes."

"Well, where is he?"

"He's with Alvin and Oliver. I'm pretty sure they're in the Great Hall."

"Thank you!"

And he didn't even wait for her to say, "You're welcome," before storming out of the tower again. He rushed down the stairs and headed straight to the Great Hall. Sure enough, sitting at the Gryffindor table, was Thomas and his two buds. Neville walked over to them and they all looked up as he approached. He smiled sweetly at them, trying not to seem too intimidating.

"Thomas, care to come with me for a moment?"

"Am…am I in trouble professor?"

"No, no not at all. I just want to have a chat to you, man to man."

Thomas looked at Alvin and Oliver. Oliver shrugged his shoulders and Alvin raised his eyebrows curiously. They didn't have a clue as to what was going on. Thomas grabbed his bag and stood up from the table. Neville smiled at him and began to make his way out of the Great Hall with Thomas following in his wake. As soon as they were out of the Great Hall, Thomas began firing questions.

"Where are we going?"

"My office."

"I thought I wasn't in trouble."

"You're not."

"So why are we going there?"

"For privacy."

"What is this all about than?"

"Just talking. No pressure."

"Talking about what?"

"Just about you."

They had reached the office door and Neville quickly unlocked it with his wand. Thomas followed in behind him but stood awkwardly in the door frame as Neville took his seat behind his desk. He looked back at the first year and smiled again.

"Take a seat Thomas. But close the door behind you please."

The wizard did as he was told and slowly sat down across from his Herbology professor. Neville pulled out Thomas's file from his bag and the first year's eyes widened.

"Is that…my file?"

Neville heard the nervousness in the boy's voice and looked at him suspiciously.

"Yes it is. Why do you sound scared?"

Thomas gulped and answered in a tone so low that Neville had to strain his ears to hear him.

"Now you know my secret."

"Your secret, Thomas?"

Thomas lowered his head and looked at his lap.

"That I'm a werewolf. That's why I'm here, isn't it? You don't want a werewolf in Gryffindor."

Neville's jaw dropped as he saw the boys face completely drop. He had actually thought that?!

"What?! No! No not at all Thomas. No. I am certainly not ashamed that you are a werewolf! You are a remarkable young man and I am proud to have you in Gryffindor!"

Thomas lifted his head up and beamed at his head of house.

"You are?"

"Of course!"

Thomas knit his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Than…why do you have my file? Why am I here?"

Neville set down the black folder and looked at the student.

"Your file doesn't say anything about your parents, Thomas, and I am concerned about that."

It was visibly noticeable that Thomas did not like that because he stiffened up like a board. Neville kept his tone smooth and low, as to not scare the kid.

"It's precautionary measures, really. What if something were to happen to you? I need to know who to contact and such."

Thomas swallowed hard. "Headmistress McGonagall knows who to contact."

"See, but what if she is out of town and I can't get a hold of her? It's really important Thomas."

The first year bit his lip but didn't say anything. Neville sighed. He wasn't going to let this go.

"What about your dad, Thomas?"

Thomas looked up.

"I don't know my dad. He's never been in my life."

"Do you know anything about him though? Any information would help."

Even though Neville knew what was written in the file, he wanted to see if Thomas could add anything himself.

"I know he was in Gryffindor and a wizard. Mom's told me he had the same knack for mischief that I have."

"Okay, okay. And did she say anything else about him?"

Thomas thought hard. "Not really."

Neville leaned back. It was the same information that was in the file.

"And what about your mother? You live with her so you know more about her. Her name isn't even in your file"

"She doesn't want her name on my file."

"Why?"

"Because she doesn't."

Neville grunted. His patience was running low but he didn't want to seem more forceful than he was really being.

"Well, can I know more about her without knowing her name?"

Thomas shrugged his shoulders. "I guess. She's a witch and she was in Gryffindor too."

"Okay…"

"Um…she liked to cook-"

"What about when she was here? Did she say anything about her times at Hogwarts?"

Thomas sunk into his chair. He didn't like this one bit. Why was Professor Longbottom questioning him so much? If Headmistress McGonagall knew everything, wasn't that good enough? Thomas shook his head.

"Professor Longbottom, I don't want to tell you anymore."

"Thomas I need to know and-"

"No you don't!"

Neville sat there, stunned that this boy had just yelled at him like that. Thomas had been so shy and reserved for the last 20 minutes. All the sudden he was fired up.

"You don't need to know anything! Headmistress McGonagall knows everything and that's good enough!"

"Thomas! Watch who you are talking to! I think I have ever right to know about your mother! WHAT IS HER NAME?!"

"That's none of your business!"

"Yes it is! What is her bloody name?"

"I'M NOT TELLING YOU!"

"TELL ME WHAT HER-"

But Neville stopped short because what happened next caught him completely off guard. His office door suddenly swung open, hitting the wall behind it with a tremendous crash. Neville's jaw dropped as he saw the witch that had just barged into his office. She looked the exact same from 11 years ago, only she had a scar on her neck and her face was red with rage. He was in absolute awe at seeing her. He thought she was dead.

"Lavender?"

She took one step into the room and slammed the door shut behind her. She was absolutely livid.

"Don't you dare harass my son like that Neville!"


	15. She's Back

Furry didn't even begin to cover how Lavender was feeling right now. Here was Neville, an old best friend of her's, trying to manipulate information out of her son. And even if it wasn't her son, it was still completely wrong for a professor to act that way with a student. It was sickening and revolting in every sense. She looked down at Thomas, who was trying to process what had just happened. His mother had made him swear to keep their lives a secret. Now she's busting into the room, declaring herself, and once more…PROFESSOR LONGBOTTOM KNOW WHO SHE IS?! Thomas closed his eyes and shook his head. He didn't understand at all!

"Momma what's-"

"Go back to the tower, Thomas. Go back to the Gryffindor Common Room and don't say a word about this to anyone."

"Even Headmistress McGonagall?"

"She knows I'm here. I need to talk to Professor Longbottom in private. Please leave Thomas."

He looked from his mother (who was beat red into the face) to Professor Longbottom (who was crying) and decided that it WAS best to leave. He slowly got up out of his chair and left the room without saying another word before shutting the door behind him. Lavender, wordless, pulled out her wand and pointed it at the door. She silently locked it and put her wand away. Neville stepped out from behind his desk to get closer to her. He had a look of utter disbelief on his face and tears silently trailing down his cheeks. When he spoke, it was quiet and intimate.

"Lavender…you…you're alive."

She didn't say anything. She just kept staring. She had pictured this moment, when someone she loved would find her, for years. She wondered how they would react. This was one of the reactions that she had anticipated. Tears. She just didn't think it would be under these circumstances. Neville took another step foreword and continued since Lavender was, at the moment, being stubborn.

"You're alive. All these years! We thought you were dead. We did a memorial for you. We honored you. We…"

Lavender nodded her head, understanding. She figured they would have done something like that. Well, she secretly hoped they WOULD have done something like that. It would have meant that they cared and that they were accepting her as gone.

"And now you're here, in my office, very much alive. And you have a son! Seamus is the father, yes?"

"Yes."

Neville nodded his head now. He had known the second he saw the boy that he had to be related to Seamus. He was quickly letting all the information sink in and in a moment of seconds his disbelief and happiness at Lavender's appearance turned into anger towards his friend.

"Wait. Wait. You have a son and Seamus is the father…AND YOU PLAY DEAD?! You ran way without telling anyone! We mourned! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! We even had a sodding memorial service for you! Seamus has been heartbroken for YEARS! He still loves you and you hide away with his SON! His son! And even with Thomas here, YOU WERE STILL GOING TO STAY A SECRET?!"

Lavender had also anticipated this reaction. Neville had felt so much pain at Lavender's disappearance that he was simply letting it all out now. He was feeling such a whirlwind of emotions that he just started acting on instinct.

"My intentions were for no one to EVER find out, Neville! But you had to go and stick your nose into Thomas's business-"

"BECAUSE I HAD A HUNCH! Oh and thank Merlin I did or else I would still think you're dead!"

"IT WAS MY DECISION! MY LIFE CHOICES!"

"You also made the life choices for Thomas and you CERTAINLY made them for your friends and Seamus as well! YOU PUT US THROUGH HELL! HOW COULD YOU?! What could possibly have happened that made you hide and FUCKING PLAY DEAD?! You wanna know what's the worst part?! MOST OF US STILL HAD HOPE THAT YOU WERE ALIVE! We went through everyday, not knowing, but secretly praying that you were still miraculously alive! It's the fucking worst, not knowing!"

Lavender stood as still as a statue as Neville whipped away the tears that were now pouring out of his eyes. He was absolutely exhausted and crushed that she would do that to him and everyone else. He felt betrayed and she could see it, clear as day, written across his face. Neither of them sat down. Lavender ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath.

"You have to listen to me, Neville, and not interrupt. You have to just listen to me, okay?"

He nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest. Lavender sighed and than explained herself.

"I knew I was pregnant before the battle even began. I was going to get an abortion. I was never going to tell Seamus."

She looked up and saw Neville's jaw drop. She nodded her head and continued with her story.

"I had the procedure scheduled for later that week. But the battle hit first. The only people who knew of my pregnancy were Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey. Not even Parvati knew."

She finally decided to sit down and took her spot in one of the armchairs in front of Neville's desk. He slowly walked over to the one next to her and sat, silent. She never made eye contact with him but she could feel his glare burning holes in the side of her head.

"During the Battle, I watched Susan Bones die at the hands of Fenrir Greyback. I had a moment of pure rage and chased after him. He attacked me. Hermione threw him off of me. Madame Pomfrey took me to the medical wing and immediately contacted St. Mungo's. They took me away and treated me immediately as to stop the process of me changing on the spot. They then told me it was too late to abort the baby, especially because I was too weak than, and that I had to give birth. Of course,"

Unwanted tears began to trickle down her face but she did not wipe them away. She let them fall hard and fast. In some ways, she knew she deserved to relive all the pain. It was only fair.

"Of course, I was now a werewolf and the baby inside of me was a werewolf. I felt, ultimately, that I had two options. Either I go back to you guys, tell you what happened, and then spring on Seamus that, OH HEY! You have a kid and, OH! He's a sodding werewolf! Or option two, pretend to be a missing person of war so that I could fade away from your memories with time and live my life without hurting, embarrassing, or ruining your lives."

"Lavender we would never have felt that way at-"

She held up her hand but still didn't look at him.

"I said just listen."

She took a deep breath. The tears were thinning out.

"I was so ashamed of what I had done not only to myself, but also to the unborn baby inside of me. I was forever scared and a true monster. Every full moon I transform into this bloodthirsty beast that wants nothing more than to rip apart flesh and wreak havoc. I wasn't Lavender anymore. I was someone else. It was as if a demon had been placed into me. I couldn't possibly be around people at all, let alone the people I loved. I could have hurt them. And the people that I DID love, well, once they found out who I had become, they wouldn't love me anymore. I assumed that they would shun me. They wouldn't want to be around someone like me. And then there was the baby. Because of my stupid action to run after Greyback I had ruined the baby's life. Not only had I kept the baby a secret from Seamus, but I had wrecked it too. Thomas had no say in whether he wanted to be a werewolf or not. He was born scared, cursed. I knew that Seamus could never fully love me again. I had lied to him and betrayed him in one of the worst possible ways."

Neville stayed silent but there was a certain energy in the air that created a light humming noise. Lavender forgot that she was in Neville's office at Hogwarts and got easily lost in her story. It was the first time she had ever verbally talked about it.

"So I made the decision to hide and claim myself a prisoner of war. I changed my last name and created a false identity. McGonagall, knowing about everything, gave me a little house that had been in her family for years. Once I got a job and earned enough income, I paid her back and that's where Thomas and I live now. He live away from people to that we can change in peace…and so that we can't hurt anyone."

"Where?"

"In rural Scotland."

"So all this time, when we thought you were dead, you…were in Scotland?"

"Yep."

Neville shook his head and buried it in his arms. But Lavender wasn't done telling her story yet.

"When Thomas got his Hogwarts letter, I was terrified. I didn't know how he would react around other children, especially with his disorder. Minerva convinced me to let him come here. Then she told me you were a professor here AND the head of Gryffindor. From day one I had a hunch that you would find out. And, now, here we are."

There was a tension that hung in the air. It was dead silent in the room but Lavender could feel her body screaming. Neville lifted his head up and looked at her. For the first time, she made direct eye contact.

"Lavender, I…we…we would never have shunned you away. We have always loved you…we still do. I don't care that you're a werewolf. No one would. They would just be happy to know that you're alive…healthy…living well! Not only that, but you're strong enough to be a werewolf and a single mother OF a werewolf. I…why? I'm so confused. You put us through so much, especially Seamus…"

Neville trailed off. Her eyes got wide because she saw the next part coming.

"You have to see him."

Lavender felt the tears swell up in her eyes.

"You have to see him because Damnit, you KNOW I will and I'll tell him."

She nodded her head. She completely understood.

"I know. I WILL see him I just have to think it through. I'll most likely need your help."

"Of course."

There was silence again. This time Lavender's sniffling was audible.

"He's about to get the shock of his life. Not only is the girl that he's in love with…alive…but he also has a son."

Lavender lowered her head.

"And they're both werewolves."

Neville sank into his chair. This was all too real. He slowly stood and up and reached for her hand. She stood up as well and in a split second, they were hugging each other tightly. Both of them were crying. They had really missed each other.


	16. Catching Up

Thomas was brought back into Neville's office where Lavender explained everything to him. She assured him that she had known Neville for a long time and that they were friends. She informed her son that Neville went to school with her and could be trusted. Thomas was especially surprised to hear that Neville had been her friend from school who had owned the toad named Trevor. After Thomas retreated back to his dorm room, less confused and a little more reassured, Lavender stayed behind to talk to Neville. After letting all the initial emotions flare, they were able to settle down into a good conversation. Neville wanted to know more information on Lavender's disappearance and Lavender, of course, wanted to know how everyone was doing.

"How is it changing with you and Thomas both being werewolves? How were you able to do it?"

"We had a small cottage built at the very back of the field that lined our property. McGonagall helped make it foolproof. It's two separate rooms so Thomas and I don't interact with each other as to prevent injury or death. We take our Wolfsbane, lock ourselves in, and wait for it to be over."

Neville shook his head.

"That's terrible Lavender."

"And I wanna say that it got better after each transformation, but it didn't."

Neville sank back into his chair even further. The amount of information that was coming at him all at once was so much to handle. Firstly, he was still trying to grasp the concept that after all these years, after accepting her dead, that Lavender had simply been living in Scotland. It was so surreal for him. And he was having a major battle of emotions inside of him. He was absolutely thrilled that she was still alive and well and felt such a rush of love for his old schoolmate, but at the same time, he felt so much hate and anguish towards her for making them all go through the pain of thinking she was gone forever. His head was exploding with the different emotions.

Lavender was equally as confused. She had never wanted to come back to the wizarding world and if she had eventually, she CERTAINLY had not wanted to do it under these circumstances. But, on the other hand, it was a breath of fresh air to talk to Neville again. Sure, she had missed the ones she loved tremendously, but she had not realized how much she really missed them until she saw Neville again. Now she suddenly missed everyone with everything in her body and she wanted nothing more than to run into their arms. She knew it was never going to be that easy, however.

"So how is everyone? You know, in our friend group from the Hogwarts years?"

"Well, yeesh. You'll get some shockers right about now."

"Lay 'em on me."

"Well, for one, Dean Thomas is with Hannah Abbott. They've been together for years now and I think Dean is going to pop the question soon."

"NO WAY!"

"Oh yeah. We're all getting hitched right about now."

"Ron and Hermione? Please tell me that they are still together…"

"Oh they are. They're married and they have a kid, Rose. She's a delightful girl. Hermione's pregnant with their second right now."

Lavender's jaw dropped. Wow. She really WAS behind the times. She sat and listened as Neville continued to fill her in. She had to admit, listening to people's stories was quite fascinating for her.

"Aubrielle and I are married. We have a three year old named Emolly-"

"After Emolly Goldster? She died in the war, didn't she? I'm still uncertain as to who passed. Well, other than Susan, of course."

"Yes, she died at the hands of Blaise Zabini. And yes, she is named after Emolly. Emolly and Aubrielle were best friends. We also have a one year old named Eva."

"That's so awesome Neville! I always hoped that you two would stay together!"

"Thank you, thank you. Yeah, we're really happy together. Luna is married to some nutter that believes in all the same nonexistent creatures that she does."

"Perfect."

"Exactly. Alright, prepare yourself for this one…"

"Oh no…"

"Ginny Weasley is now…Ginny Malfoy."

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Lavender's jaw drop and her eyes widened. Neville had to be joking with her.

"Oh yeah. They met at a therapy group. They became friends at first but it turned into something more after Ginny left Harry for slapping her."

"Harry slapped her?!"

"Yeah. Things got really messy for the two of them after the war. Ginny was an alcoholic for a while. She got help and Draco's helped keep her sober since. He's actually really good for her and they work well together. He's changed a lot. He's a good bloke now. We're friends."

Lavender sat there in silence and in complete shock. She could not BELIEVE that Draco Malfoy was friends with all her friends and married to her old housemate. What had happened to the world in the last 11 years? And then she felt her stomach drop when she thought about the one person that she really wanted to know about.

"And Seamus?"

Neville snorted. "Still in love with you."

Her entire body started to tingle. "Really?"

"Yeah. He's tried to go on dates with other women but he says that every time he just sits there wishing it were you. Every year he honors you on your birthday, the day of the Battle of Hogwarts, and on your anniversary. He hates himself for not saying goodbye. He could never accept the idea that you were dead. He always had hope." Neville laughed and looked at Lavender with a goofy smile on his face. "And I'll be damned, the git was right."

Lavender let out a hollow laugh. He still loved her. Even after all these years. She looked down at her hands.

"I don't know what to do Neville. And I can't just walk through his front door and yell, 'surprise!''

"Well of course you can't do THAT. You'd look like a complete jackass for one."

"But I AM a complete jackass."

"No, no you're not. Listen, I hate you for hiding from us but you did what YOU thought was right for you and your baby. No one can blame you for that."

She let out a groan of frustration and hung her head. Neville came over and rubbed her back and tears began to fall down her face once more. She felt absolutely horrible.

"Lavender, look. I know it's going to be a struggle for you and I know it's going to be hard, but you have to tell him. And I'll be here the entire time to support you. Okay?"

Lavender lifted her head up and allowed Neville to cradle her in his arms.

"Okay."

"And Lavender?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm so happy you're back."

But she couldn't bring herself to reply with 'me too' because she wasn't quite sure if that was the truth or not.


	17. Calm before the Storm

Neville walked up the stone path that led to Seamus's front door. The wizard lived by himself, seeing as his two best friends (Dean and Neville) were living with either their wife (ie. Neville and Aubrielle) or their current girlfriend of years (ie. Dean and Hannah). Neville made his way to the front door and knocked. He heard a distant "Coming!" from somewhere deep in the house and waited until his friend made it to the door. Seamus opened it and smiled upon seeing Neville.

"Neville! Haven't seen you in a while! I thought I wasn't going to see you until Quidditch season!"

"Change of plans Seamus! Can I come in?"

"Of course, of course!"

Neville stepped into the cozy and clean house. There were red and gold decorations spread periodically through the house, seeing as Seamus was extremely proud to be a Gryffindor, as well as lots of pictures. There was a picture of all the Gryffindor boys in their year at a reunion party at Ginny and Draco's place. There was one of Seamus and Aubrielle at Neville and her's wedding. She looked absolutely stunning. There was one of Dean and Hannah. There was one of Ron and Hermione at their wedding. There was one with Seamus and his parents. And then, framed in a gold frame with exquisite detailing and situated in the middle of all the pictures was the beloved photograph of Seamus and Lavender kissing in the Quidditch stands. Neville felt his stomach flip at the sight of the photo. Little did Seamus know…

Neville followed his friend into the kitchen and sat down at the counter while Seamus made a kettle of tea.

"So what do I owe this pleasure?"

He poured two mugs of steaming tea and brought them to the table before sitting down himself. Neville sipped at his, thinking about how to carefully word his thoughts.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Shoot."

"I wanted to know if you'd be able to come to the castle sometime during this upcoming week."

Seamus raised his eyebrows suspiciously.

"What for?"

Neville took another sip. He needed more time to think than Seamus was giving him. The conversation that he had planned out in his head was just not right now.

"Well, to be frank, I've talked about you and some of the adventures we had while we were at Hogwarts to some of my first years. They want to meet you. And Padma got to come in and talk to the Ravenclaws about her experience. Why can't you?"

Seamus looked surprised…but it was a happy surprise.

"You didn't tell them about how I blew everything up, did you?"

Neville smirked. Now the conversation was flowing the way he wanted it to.

"I may have mentioned it once or twice…"

"Bloody Hell."

"They want some stories! Well…and to know what it was like before the castle was ripped apart by death eaters."

Seamus jerked his head up quickly.

"Dude, you know I don't like talking about that."

"Just…please Seamus! You need to learn how to talk about it anyway. You know that the committee is going to start interviewing people to make that whole…15 Years After book."

Seamus ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head.

"I know, I know. Alright I'll go and tell 'em my story."

Neville beamed. "Thanks mate. You're not going to regret it."

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Lavender was pacing in Headmistress McGonagall's office, biting her nails down to nothing but stubs. She was ridiculously nervous to reveal herself to Seamus after all these years. Mostly for a couple of reasons…

She was convinced that he would hate her forever.

She was convinced that he would shun her for being a werewolf.

She was convinced that he would take Thomas away from her for being such a terrible person (you know…playing dead and all).

And lastly…she was still in love with him. And she was scared of anything that would happen, really.

Minerva came striding through the threshold of the door at that time, Neville right behind her. Lavender turned and looked at them.

"Well?"

"He just got here. He's talking to the first year boys."

"Okay, good good. That means he's already met his son…and he has no idea."

Neville snorted. "Holy Hell he has."

"What if he doesn't like Thomas?! What if he finds him annoying or nosy or-"

"Lavender," McGonagall stepped foreword and gripped Lavender's shoulders. "Now is not the time to worry about that. That official introduction comes later. You need to concentrate on your meeting with him first."

Lavender nervously shook her head and played with her hands as the old witch let go of her. The werewolf suddenly turned to Neville.

"Is he in a good mood?"

"Seamus? Or Thomas?"

"Seamus. Is he in a good mood? Because if he is in a bad mood and then I suddenly pop back into his life I-"

"Great mood. He loves the kids and he is having a great time retelling stories. Relax Lavender, please. You're starting to make ME anxious."

She slowly walked over to one of the armchairs and sat down. She pulled her knees up to her chest and she hugged them close to her. She knew she looked like a twelve year old but she didn't care. She found the posture comforting.

Meeting Seamus for the first time in eleven years was absolutely terrifying for her. She hadn't even intended to see him ever again but now that she was, everything that she had worked so hard to keep secret was to shit. He would know everything, about how she played dead, about how she ran on purpose, about her condition, that he had a son! Lavender couldn't help but inwardly laugh at the situation that she was in. It was all so god damned ridiculous! What was even more ridiculous was how giddy she was about seeing Seamus. She had a son with the man and obviously she loved him very deeply. She had been through so much with him; she had taken his virginity for Christ's sake. She had never once been closer to a human being than she once was with Seamus. Back when they were at Hogwarts together, he was her other half. She could never go a day without being around him or talking to him or kissing him or laughing with him or thinking about him. He had been her rock…and she ran away from him. He had been her driving force and she had shut him out of her life. Worst part was that Lavender KNEW for a fact that he felt the same way about her. Well, at least he DID. But now, now she had no idea how he would feel. She abandoned him with no explanation. Simple as that. She would be surprised if he still wanted her in his life. She suddenly jerked her head up as Neville cleared his throat some moments later. How long had she been wallowing in her own pathetic sorrows?

"It's time for me to go get him, Lav."

She nodded her head, stood up, and straightened out her clothes. Neville nodded at Headmistress McGonagall and walked out the door. When he came back, Seamus would be with him. Lavender darted to the nearest trashcan and heaved until everything in her stomach was emptied.

Holy shit.


	18. Reunited

The seconds seemed like years as Lavender anxiously awaited Neville's return with Seamus. Professor McGonagall had left a little while ago, giving Lavender the privacy that she undoubtedly needed. Lavender had it pictured in her head already that there was probably going to be a lot of screaming, tears, and breaking things. Most of those on Seamus's part due to his rage and anger at his ex-girlfriend, but still. The chance of those things occurring was highly possible. Lavender walked over to the large oval mirror by the desk for probably the twentieth time and checked her appearance…again. The faded remnants of her scars, so generously given by Fenrir Greyback, were still slightly visible on her neck and cheek but she wanted them to show today. Today was not a day to be ashamed of them. There were plenty of other things to be ashamed of instead.

Her heart started beating even more rapid when Lavender heard the distinctive sound of a doorknob turning. She looked towards the large oak door and yes, the golden handle was indeed turning. And now she could hear the men talking on the other side of it. It was Neville.

"It's just someone. Someone special that you haven't seen in years."

"Why won't you just tell me Longbottom? You know I hate surprises."

"Just…trust me."

And then three things happened. One, the door opened and Neville came in first followed closely by Seamus. Two, Seamus looked around the room until he saw Lavender. Three, Lavender and Seamus made eye contact and then everything went south from there.

Seamus's jaw dropped and he took a tentative step foreword, tears already welling up in his eyes.

"L…Lavender?"

"Hi Seamus."

Seamus turned back to Neville, who had a stupid 'told you so' grin on his face. Neville shook his head and Seamus turned back the witch. She had a concerned look on her face. She was just waiting for him to say something else because she had missed the sound of his voice. But what he said next did not reassure her by any means and it certainly didn't make her feel comfortable.

"Neville, could you leave…please?"

Neville raised his eyebrow but shook his head.

"Sure mate. You know where my office is if you need me."

As soon as Neville was gone from the room and out of earshot, Seamus unleashed on the witch.

"What the Bloody Hell are you doing here?!"

"I…well…I wanted to see you."

"NOW?! NOW?! YOU WANTED TO SEE ME?! AFTER ELEVEN FUCKING YEARS?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! WE ALL DID! DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU PUT ME THROUGH?! I WAS IN PIECES! YOU BROKE ME! I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REALLY SMILE, OR LOVE, OR LAUGH!"

His face was beat red were pure anger and a vein was popping out of his forehead. Lavender's vision soon became blurry as the tears fogged her eyes. She knew that this was going to happen, and she had endured it from Neville, but it hurt so much more coming from Seamus. She loved him, even after all these years. The second she saw him her heart dropped into her stomach and she knew at that moment that the feelings were all still there. He was Seamus and she was Lavender and them being together was just what made sense. Well, it DID make sense. Now…however…

"YOU FUCKING PLAYED DEAD. I don't believe it. I don't fucking believe it! You've been alive this entire time, YOU KNEW WE WERE ALL HURTING, and you still stayed away?! THAT IS THE MOST SELFISH FUCKING THING I HAVE EVER HEARD! And you just show up…TO HOGWARTS…and, and HOLY SHIT NEVILLE KNEW! HE KNEW YOU WERE ALIVE AND HE DIDN'T TELL ME!"

Lavender finally decided that she needed to interrupt. Seamus could be mad at her all he wanted, she deserved it, but Neville did NOT.

"He hasn't known for that long, only a couple of days Seamus! I swear I didn't mean to hurt you and I asked him not to tell you so I could see you myself and please STOP YELLING AT ME!"

Tears were pouring out of her eyes and staining her shirt. She just wanted him to listen to her and to understand. She just wanted this to be easy.

"You were dead! You were fucking dead!"

He was bawling too and gripped the side of an armchair to steady himself. He was crying and shaking and screaming and Lavender could tell that he was having a harder time being mad at her than he was putting on. He deserved to be mad at her, furious even, but he loved her so much and he had missed her with every bone in his body and how could he really be mad at her? She was alive and that's what he had been praying for for 11 years now. He sat down in the armchair and Lavender slowly made her way to the couch across from him and sat down as well.

"You were dead. We let you go. We did a service with everyone, the whole gang. We said good bye. Everyone. I…I haven't been able to get over it. Even after all these years. I've never loved anyone else, how could I? You…you were my first. Lavender, I just don't understand."

He looked up at her and really gazed into her eyes for the first time in 11 years. She was still so stunningly beautiful.

"Why? Why did you leave us? Where have you been?"

She was silent for a moment because she could see the pain painted on his face and hear it engraved in his words. It was terrible for her to know that she was reason for his sorrow. She pulled down her shirt a little more to reveal the rest of her scars and she watched as Seamus's eyes grew big with realization.

"I left because I was scarred. Because Greyback had changed me and put his poison inside of me. I'm a werewolf Seamus, a full changing monster that destroys every 30ish days. I was positive that no one would look at me the same. That people would see me as a creature instead of a person. I was determined that you wouldn't love me anymore and…"

"Impossible."

She looked up at him.

"What?"

"For me to not love you anymore. That's impossible."

Lavender felt the corners of her mouth edging towards a smile but she couldn't do it. She needed to be serious. She wasn't done breaking his heart yet and he might not feel that way after she finished her story.

"Well, just let me finish. You might feel differently after I tell you the rest."

Seamus's face suddenly grew serious and he leaned back in the chair, bracing himself.

"That's how I felt. I was now ugly and a monster. I packed up and moved to Scotland. I've been living in a small cottage on the outskirts on a prairie. It's gorgeous there. I thought that playing dead would be like ripping the Band-Aid off. So much quicker and easier than saying goodbyes. Or you guys knowing. But I also left because, well, I had ruined someone else's life too."

"What do you mean?"

Lavender took a deep breath as new tears rolled down her face.

"I was pregnant, Seamus, during the battle. Your child. When I saw Susan get killed, I left my post even though I knew I was putting myself and the baby in danger and sure enough…"

She looked down at the floor and even though she couldn't see Seamus, she could practically hear his shock in the air.

"I had a baby in my stomach, our baby, and I put it in danger. I knew what I was doing. I destroyed that baby's life before it was even born. I felt so terrible that I hadn't told you in the first place. I was actually going to get an abortion the week of the battle. But then the battle DID happen and…it was too late. I thought you would never forgive me for that…for doing that to our child."

Seamus was grasping to form words. He couldn't believe his ears.

"I…I have a child?"

Lavender looked up at him.

"A son, actually. He's a brilliant boy. Spitting image of you, really. His name is Thomas."

Seamus had a look of utter disbelief on his face and Lavender was positive that at that moment in time, he was going to get up and walk away. But he stayed and what he said next was even more shocking.

"I want to meet him."

"You have already, actually. He's a Gryffindor first year…"

And the light went off in Seamus's mind.

"Merlin's beard…Thomas…yes! Thomas Finn. I remember him clearly. I…he…I was just talking to my son and didn't even realize it?"

Lavender stifled a small giggle.

"Looks like it."


End file.
